Soknacki plans to scrap Rob Ford’s Scarborough subway

Watch this video above: David Soknacki announces plans to scrap Rob Ford’s Scarborough subway

TORONTO – The Scarborough subway, one of Mayor Rob Ford’s major victories would be scrapped if David Soknacki were to take his place in the mayor’s office.

“If elected mayor of Toronto, I will lead council to return to the plan to build light rail transit. The line that the people of Scarborough need and that they deserve,” Soknacki said at a press conference Tuesday. “It’s the right option for transit in Scarborough.”

Council voted 24-20 in October to confirm its support for a three-stop extension of the Bloor-Danforth line into Scarborough. The plan is expected to cost approximately $3 billion, split three ways between the province ($1.4 billion), federal government (approximately $600 million) and city (approximately $910 million).

Read More: How much is Toronto actually paying for the Scarborough subway? 

To pay the city’s share, city council voted to increase development charges and implement three consecutive property tax increases, 0.5 per cent in 2014 and 2015 and 0.6 in 2016.

Soknacki said he would reverse “mayor ford’s $1 billion, 30-year tax increase.”

“And in so doing, deliver to the taxpayers of Toronto, the largest single tax cut in the city’s history,” he said.

Soknacki’s plan however would have to get passed council. And three, including a mayoral rival and the deputy mayor, came out against his plan to scrap the Scarborough subway.

Read More: ‘Planning by press conference:’ What’s with Toronto’s transit indecision? 

Soknacki was flanked by councillors Gloria-Lindsay Luby and Paul Ainslie during his press conference. The two councillors have been the first to endorse Soknacki’s bid for mayor and supported LRT’s during the crucial October vote.

Ainslie drew the ire of Rob Ford for his role in opposing the subway. A few days after the vote, Ford unleashed robocalls critical of Ainslie’s position throughout the councillor’s ward.

The mayor’s office has not responded to requests for comment on this story at the time of publishing.