FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2010
Toronto: Mayoral hopeful Joe Pantalone received the top grade in a report card released today by the Public Transit Coalition (PTC) that rated where the leading mayoral candidates stand on key issues facing the TTC. Mayoral candidates were sent a ten-question survey on a range of transit-related issues from keeping the TTC public to keeping fares in check. The complete list of survey questions and candidate responses can be found at www.KeepTTCPublic.ca.
“This report card makes it clear where the top 4 mayoral candidates stand on key issues facing the TTC,” said Jamie Kirkpatrick, PTC spokesperson. “Joe Pantalone scores an A+, George Smitherman gets a B, Rob Ford got an F, as did Rocco Rossi.”
In August, the Public Transit Coalition sent out a 10-question survey that asked ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions to find out where candidates stand on issues including:
- Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and other forms of privatizing the TTC
- Building the Transit City Light Rail Plan by 2020
- Keeping TTC fares in check
- Provincial funding for TTC operating costs
- Maintaining existing TTC service levels and expanding service to all wards
- Keeping City Councillors on the Transit Commission
“Transit has been a top issue in this election,” said Kirkpatrick. “This report card provides Torontonians with a tool to show which mayoral candidate has the best vision for how to improve public transit. We urge anyone who cares about the TTC to review this report card before they vote on October 25th.”
The Public Transit Coalition is a collaboration of thousands of Torontonians who agree that the TTC must be kept public, be properly funded by all levels of Government, and that the Transit City Light Rail Plan be completed by 2020. To date, over 12,000 individuals have become PTC members along with almost 40 community groups and other organizations.
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For more information and to arrange interviews contact Jamie Kirkpatrick, 416-895-3406.