Toronto’s subway-versus-light-rail transit debate is rising from its political grave with councillors set to face the issue yet again — this time armed with soaring cost figures for going underground.

With Queen’s Park, Ottawa, and Toronto city hall all expressing support for a Scarborough subway extension, and with all three levels of government promising money for the project, a causal observer might be forgiven for considering this matter closed.

It isn’t. Toronto city council is returning to it in a two-day meeting starting Tuesday. A proposed seven-stop light-rail line to replace Scarborough’s rickety rapid transit service remains alive because a key condition set for subway approval has not been met.

When city council committed its ill-judged flip-flop last July, abandoning light rail and opting for a three-stop subway, it voted to proceed only if the province delivered $1.8 billion in funding. That hasn’t happened. Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government has been adamant — only $1.48 billion will come from Ontario taxpayers for this subway.

So Toronto councillors must vote again, having to choose between a fully-funded light-rail line which would cost Toronto ratepayers nothing or a hugely expensive underground expansion delivering only modest transit benefits. Just how expensive was made clear in a report to council by city manager Joe Pennachetti.

Despite promised money from the province, and another $660 million from the federal government, a Scarborough subway extension would leave Toronto short by about $910 million. It’s that bad. According to Pennachetti, raising this amount requires extensive borrowing, a hike in development charges and a 0.5 per cent residential property tax increase in each of the next two years, followed by a 0.6 per cent jump in 2016.

That’s not all. Toronto city hall would be on the hook for any cost overruns or interest rate hikes — a potentially huge liability.

The planned light-rail line, in contrast, would have put more transit stops within convenient walking distance of more Scarborough residents while costing Toronto nothing.

That light-rail route would have been owned and run by Metrolinx, Ontario’s agency in charge of co-ordinating transportation through Greater Toronto. So the province would have covered operating and maintenance expenses. The proposed city-owned subway expansion, on the other hand, will stick Toronto with a yearly capital maintenance bill of up to $40 million. Talks are planned in the hope that Metrolinx will defray some of that cost.

To sum up, when councillors rashly opted for a high-priced subway they rejected a free and better light-rail service while sticking ratepayers with a huge and growing bill.

The decision wasn’t final. There’s still a chance to reverse it. But only if councillors set aside crass pandering for subway-related votes and do what’s best for Toronto taxpayers and transit riders.

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