Torontonians are evenly split on whether to expand transit with subways or light rail but have little appetite for road tolls or other new fees to fund subways, a Toronto Star poll has found.

The poll also found that Torontonians trust city council, and even Premier Dalton McGuinty, to handle transit issues more than Mayor Rob Ford — which makes him a poor cheerleader for the subway cause.

Just over half of respondents said they have “no trust” in him on transit/commuter issues.

The survey of 801 Torontonians conducted Thursday and Friday found that 52 per cent favour expanding the subway system, as championed by Ford, while 48 per cent prefer the light rail that is the focus of the plan recently approved by city council.

That is a “statistical tie,” said Jaideep Mukerji, managing director of Angus Reid Public Opinion, which conducted the online poll. It has a margin of error of 3.5 per cent 19 times out of 20.

But when asked: “Would you be willing or unwilling to pay for subways through road tolls or other increased fees or taxes?” 57 per cent said they were unwilling, compared with 35 per cent warm to tolls and the like.

The mayor has staunchly rejected the idea of tolls, but this week he opened the door to a possible levy on private and pay parking lots specifically to help fund a Sheppard subway expansion.

“There is a recognition that fixing transit is expensive, and one-third of people are willing to directly pay for the pricier subway solution,” Mukerji said.

Ford is adamant that the $8.4 billion in available provincial funding be used to bury virtually all of the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown line, with any surplus used to jump-start a primarily privately funded Sheppard expansion.

But council essentially revived the former Transit City plan, which would bring the Eglinton line above ground east of Laird Ave. and build a surface LRT on Finch Ave. A panel is to make suggestions for Sheppard by March 21.

When asked whose view should prevail if there is disagreement between a mayor and a council, an overwhelming majority, 72 per cent, backed council.

Forty-one per cent of respondents said they place the most trust in council to handle Toronto’s “transit and commuter issues,” followed by Premier Dalton McGuinty at 34 per cent and Ford at 25 per cent.

“None of these groups get over 50 per cent, so I see a deep-seated frustration with the transit system and not much faith in any of the politicians to fix it,” Mukerji said.

Asked specifically about their trust in Ford on transit, 51 per cent said they have “no trust at all,” compared with 45 per cent who have a little bit, a moderate amount or great deal of trust. Even 40 per cent of those who said they voted for Ford don’t trust him with transit.

“There’s something about this transit issue that has really gotten people’s backs up, and it’s going to be hard for Ford to be an agent of change when half of Torontonians have no trust in him at all on transit,” Mukerji said.

“Even subway backers do not trust him to handle this issue. He may not be the best spokesperson for subway expansion.”

Some 60 per cent said they would support the province taking over city transit in Toronto, something Mukerji takes as “a sign of exasperation in how this debate is unfolding.”

On Friday, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli picked up on that theme in comments following a breakfast speech to the Toronto Board of Trade, in which he reiterated the province’s support for improved transit in Toronto. He said Ford needs to accept his limited powers and start working with council.

“It would be fair to say that it’s an admission of failure on the part of this city council — the whole administration, the mayor’s office, and city council — if they say: ‘We can’t do our job, bail us out in terms of decision-making,’” he told reporters.

Respondents in the poll were also asked a several questions not tied to transit.

Thirty-one per cent said they approve of Ford’s general performance in office, compared with 41 per cent approval for city council, 45 per cent for McGuinty and 41 per cent for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Fifty-three per cent said their opinion of Ford had worsened over the past three months, while 34 per cent said it has stayed the same and 10 per cent said their opinion improved.

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By comparison, 35 per cent said their opinion of council had worsened. For McGuinty it was 25 per cent, and 26 per cent for Harper.

“Mayor Ford’s disapproval numbers are not only higher than those of the others — 47 per cent strongly disapprove of his performance — but his have worsened considerably in the past three months,” Mukerji said.

With files from Robert Benzie

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