In coming weeks, city council and its committees will consider whether to green light a relief line project assessment.

Here’s my advice: vote in favour of that study.

Let’s get on with this work, this year — as one important part of an overall reset that will finally get us on the path to a transit system built to the scale of our city. But let’s also keep in mind we can, and should, have more than one priority.

People all around the world feel sorry for us these days. We are, to put it as nicely as possible, badly led by Rob Ford. Perhaps he will view these essential studies as more of the “gravy train.” But people actually on the trains know well that our city needs to get moving, in a rebuilt and renewed transit system guided by experts.

So, for example, we need more buses — something we can address right now, so people at bus stops don’t have to watch overloaded buses drive right by them during rush hour. Sixty per cent of TTC rides involve a bus. For this reason, I propose the city provide the TTC with $15 million a year to improve bus service, right now. It’s a sensible short-term priority.

A sensible medium-term priority involves having the courage to challenge Ford’s fables about “subways, subways, subways” and to return to a responsible plan in Scarborough. Building above-ground would cost $1 billion less. It would provide Scarborough commuters with four more stops and be finished four years faster.

It would also, crucially, make building a relief line easier. Our fiscal room to borrow wouldn’t be maxed-out. The federal contribution wouldn’t be squandered on underground rail that won’t move one person until 2023.

Which brings me to the relief line. Experts say this is a priority. We should take their advice, just as we should in deciding the best way to get Scarborough moving sooner.

The relief line project assessment soon to be before council will get this massive project moving. It will begin important consultations about the route.

But here’s what that study can’t answer — how will this new relief line be funded?

For answers to that question, we need to look to Queen’s Park.

As has been widely reported, the province is planning over $5 billion in new investments in its budget. So, while council does its job by getting to work on the essential studies we require for this plan, the provincial government needs to step up to its own job.

I urge Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government to spell out a finance plan for Metrolinx and the TTC, including a viable plan to finance the new relief line. Senior levels of government keep the lion’s share of taxes paid by our city (92 cents of every dollar). They have a responsibility to invest in important priorities, just as the city has a responsibility to propose the right ones.

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I have fundamental differences with Ford about his overall disregard for and ignorance of transit. I also differ with John Tory about his failure to challenge Ford’s plan to waste $1 billion to deliver transit four years later to Scarborough. But on the relief line, all of us running to be mayor should speak with one voice, right now — to council, Queen’s Park and Ottawa.

Olivia Chow is a candidate to be mayor of Toronto.

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