by Paul Moloney, city hall bureau

Most city councillors who oversee the Toronto Transit Commission have
been doing a mediocre or poor job of looking out for riders' interests,
an advocacy group says. With a potential transit strike looming, the
Toronto Environmental Alliance examined the voting records of the nine
commissioners and gave low marks to five of them. The group gave an F
to councillors Betty Disero and Norm Kelly and a D to Gerry Altobello
and the TTC chair Brian Ashton. Sherene Shaw got a D plus.

" These are not people who are doing enough for public transit," said
Gord Perks of the alliance, which actively monitors TTC activities. The
group focused on the commissioners' willingness to
increase fares. Those who sought to win a larger operating subsidy from
city council — thus avoiding the need to hike fares — scored better.
The alliance was particularly rankled that Disero,
Kelly and Altobello voted against giving the TTC an extra $10 million
during council's budget debate last month. The money from taxpayers
could have helped reduce an expected fare increase later this year.
Depending on the outcome of wage talks with the 8,000 unionized TTC
workers, the fare hike could be as high as 20 cents a ride, Perks said.

The alliance is calling on Disero, Kelly and Altobello to step down." I
don't know why they took seats on the commission," Perks said. "Are they
there just to vote against the TTC?

Disero (Ward 17, Davenport) defended her position." The city didn't
have $10 million to give them," she said." As far as I'm concerned, I
think what the TTC needs to do is roll up their sleeves and look
through their budget one more time (to find internal savings)."
Altobello (Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest) also said the city couldn't
afford to increase its funding to the TTC, while Kelly (Ward 40,
Scarborough-Agincourt) was disappointed the alliance hadn't spoken to
him before issuing its assessment. The report card comes as the
commission approaches the end of its 18-month term on May 31. At that
point, city council can change the membership. The new commission can
pick a new chair.

Perks said the alliance would be comfortable seeing the chair handed to
any one of the high-scoring councillors: Joe Mihevc (Ward 21, St.
Paul's); David Miller (Ward 13, Parkdale-High Park); Howard Moscoe
(Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence) or Mario Silva (Ward 18, Davenport).
Miller and Silva got As, Moscoe a B plus and Mihevc a B.

Ashton was disappointed in the assessment of the alliance, with whom
he's worked closely, and said the group isn't being realistic in
opposing fare hikes under any circumstances." I'm trying to run a
transit system that's based on 80 per cent of the costs funded from the
fare box. To maintain service, I've got to be practical." Ashton said he
wants to remain in the chair." It's foolish to change now. Once you're
just up to speed, pursuing some initiatives to promote transit, it
doesn't make sense to be bounced out of the chair after 18 months. The
benefits are lost."