TORONTO

Many say that transit and congestion are the defining issues of this election.

If so, this election will come down to subways versus LRTs — building new underground transit or building it above ground. It will come down to an expansion of our subway network versus my competitors’ patchwork plans that reduce lanes of traffic to run LRTs down already gridlocked roads like Sheppard, Finch and Eglinton Aves. — something both Olivia Chow and John Tory are on the record supporting.

Toronto has seen record development, job creation and growth since I became mayor. In this term alone, we approved $25 billion of new commercial, industrial and residential development. We all know the density is coming. Our city is rapidly growing. If we do not make the investments today to sustain this growth, Toronto’s transportation problems will cripple our city in the coming decades.

This is why I have made infrastructure investment a top priority this term. In fact, on average we are spending $800 million more, each year, on Toronto’s infrastructure needs. That includes investing $500 million to fix the Gardiner Expressway, and hundreds of millions more on fixing our roads, water pipes and sewers.

I am also very proud that we are investing to build the Scarborough subway, which is now fully funded, approved and moving forward. These are just some of the investments we are making today to keep Toronto competitive tomorrow.

Last week, I unveiled the details of my Toronto Subway Expansion Plan — a realistic and viable plan to build 32 kilometres of new subways and get Toronto residents moving. I believe this is exactly the bold plan that a world-class city like Toronto desperately needs.

Subways are a long-term investment, and they are worth every penny. The costing of my plan is based on estimates from TTC, Metrolinx and credible planning studies. We can begin securing the approvals and funding needed to build new subways immediately.

My subway plan includes nine viable and realistic funding options, without putting the onus on taxpayers. These options include the use of development charges, the sale of “air rights” above subway stations, the use of revenue from Build Toronto, reallocation of funding from LRT projects on Finch and Sheppard, and Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

I know that there are some questions around the use of Tax Increment Financing to fund transit. It would be irresponsible and disingenuous to say you can build everything relying on TIFs alone. That’s why my plan includes eight other viable funding options.

The unfortunate reality is that my competitors are trying to distract you from the merits of my subway plan by saying I can’t work with others to get it done. They don’t want to talk about my plan because they know building more subway lines makes more sense than their aboveground proposals.

The fact is, I united city council along with the federal and provincial governments to deliver the Scarborough subway. Everything we have accomplished over the past four years was achieved by building a consensus on city council. I have done it before and I will do it again.

Only a few months ago, the federal government announced the largest infrastructure funding program in decades and the provincial Liberals won an election campaigning on subways. The appetite from higher levels of government to invest in new subways is there. What we need now is the conviction and political will to make it happen.

Friends, it’s simple. I will not create traffic chaos by running an LRT along Eglinton Ave, in Etobicoke, and my competitors will. Rob Ford will build subways along Finch, Sheppard and Eglinton Aves., where Olivia and John want LRTs.

We all know Olivia and John both support surface rail in Etobicoke. At least with Olivia Chow, you know where she stands. I have repeatedly asked John if he would reduce lanes of traffic to build surface rail in Etobicoke, and he has no answer. He avoids the question entirely.

With transit becoming the defining issue of this election, the people of Toronto deserve straight answers on these important policy matters. I am calling on John Tory to answer a simple but extremely important question — what will you do along Eglinton, in Etobicoke, where there are no existing rail lines or available right of way to fit your surface rail plan?

It’s a simple question that seems to have a different answer each week.

— Rob Ford is the mayor of Toronto and is running for re-election this fall