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    Ontario considered Hwy. 407 buyback before announcing tunnel dream, Ford says

    Bytes Europe

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    22 Comments

    4. FancyRedWedding on

      Folks, we have considered this much more reasonable and affordable option, and I decided that the best I can do is offer beer and booze in corner stores and gas stations.

    5. mooch360 on

      Considering how long it took to put another floor under Union Station, I can’t even imagine how long it would take to do it under the entire 401 (I’m assuming just the part that goes through Toronto).

    6. grifkiller64 on

      >Adding to the price tag is the idea that the tunnel would also include transit infrastructure.

      >“We’re also looking at a transit system down the centre of the tunnel going down the 401 and that would stop at every single stop,” Ford said.

      He’s so close to a real solution, but there’s no way he’ll ditch the highway part of the Gravy Tunnel.

      >During his conversation with AM640, Ford indicated that his government briefly considered the idea and reiterated his view that the sale of the highway by the Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government in 1999 was a bad decision.

      >“We’ve thought of that as well,” Ford said. “Previous government sold it off for $2.3 billion, **which was the biggest mistake I’ve ever seen.”**

      >Ford suggested that Highway 407 is now “worth approximately $35 billion” but said the government decided not to fork out to buy it back because of studies completed internally suggesting “all the 400 series highways are going to be at full capacity” in the next quarter-century.

      >“Studies have come out that we’ll be at full capacity in another 20, 25 years on the 407 — that defeats the purpose,” Ford said.

      At least he admits that Harris fucked up.

    10. captain_poptart on

      It would be easier to just have everyone do another drivers test. Covid made people stupid and it would get them off the roads

    11. ynliPbqM on

      Can this guy literally just fuck off. His folky bullshit will bankrupt the province and get his buddies fat kickbacks and somehow the Ontario populace is voting for this guy. Quite literally a donkey would be a far more equipped premier …

    13. Reasonable-MessRedux on

      Admitting essentially that Harris’s sale of the 407 was one of the stupidest ideas ever.

    14. rftecbhucse on

      It’s harder to skim a few $ with buying back the 407. With a tunnel, the sky’s the limit. He’ll make a killing.

    18. Spyrothedragon9972 on

      Classic move.

      Sell public infrastructure to foreign a entity (because you’re corrupt and receiving kickbacks), even though not only is it not in the best interest of your constituents, it actively hurts them.

      Then you try to sell the public on a shit sandwich and they don’t want to eat so you can then sell them a sprinkled shit sandwich (which was your plan from the very beginning). So they’re more likely to bite because by comparison it seems like the better option and the public has a short memory, so they don’t recall you selling them out so you could line your own pockets.

      The plan from the very beginning was to funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to a foreign entity so that some could receive corrupt pity money on the down low. Tax payers haven’t benefited from any of this.

      People need to realize they’re being conned in broad daylight. I have no idea why this isn’t the primary narrative.

    20. adaminc on

      The 407ETR is mostly owned by CPPIB (Canadian Pension Plan) now so I don’t think it being privately owned is as much of an issue. Although it’d be nice if they lowered the fees.

    21. wafflingzebra on

      acquire land to make space for 2 tracks of railway alongside the 401 and 407 and get a go train service running from mississauga, brampton, through toronto/york region and scarborough, with transfers to other go rail lines and you’d probably drastically reduce congestion on the 401, the gardiner, the 403 and the DVP.