Toronto Environmental Alliance

Aug 06 2010
David Rider
Urban Affairs Bureau Chief
Toronto Star

Mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, whose campaign is focused on adding 58 kilometres of subway line over 10 years, says going underground will get more people out of polluting cars than Toronto's Transit City light rail vehicle plan.

But Franz Hartmann, executive director of Toronto Environmental Alliance, said subways take a long time to build and above-ground light rail is a quicker, cheaper way to get mass transit to the suburbs.

Thomson also proposes giving taxi owners an undetermined rebate on their $1,113 registration fee to get the city an all-hybrid fleet within five years.

Jim Bell, of Diamond Taxi, said the intention is good, but owners would need a grant toward hybrid purchase and relaxed rules as to how long cabs can stay on the road.

Hartmann applauded Thomson's pledge to have community members help run a “buy green and local” initiative, but said other pledges, such as getting green bins into all highrises by 2014, when the city's current target is 2012, don't make sense.

Other initiatives in her plan:

• Encouraging big employers to give workers the option of staggered start times or working from home to reduce rush-hour gridlock.
• Change zoning rules to allow more offices in residential areas, reducing commutes and congestion.
• Get Toronto Hydro to start, with provincial help, a financing program to encourage homeowners to install solar panels.

As published here: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/article/844541--sarah-thomson-s-green-plan-includes-all-hybrid-taxi-fleet