Could a regional transit authority be next?

Finally, the idea of a provincial transit authority is out in the open. Premier McQuinty of Ontario recently floated the idea of creating a regional transit authority, even suggesting that such a body might take over Toronto's bus and subway service, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). With transit issues just too big for local governments to deal with alone, it only seems logical that the provincial government, in putting up large sums of cash for transit, would what to influence where and how this money is spent.

Of course when Premier McQuinty floated the idea, Metrolinx (the province's GTTA Transit planning and co-ordinating body played the idea down, as did the big city mayors in Ontario. Metrolink, I suspect because they lack the legislative power to actively co-ordinate transit and need to be on the good side of the mayors, and the mayors, because they don't want to lose control of their own individual transit systems.

But, as the saying goes..."it's time to wake up and put the coffee on." Transit is just too big and too important an issue to be left in the hands of municipal governments as it is today. Premier McQuinty either knows this or is coming to realize this fact. A regional transit authority speaks to future provincial (and national) economic competitiveness. Given the size of Toronto and its surrounding GTA area we need to catch up to similarly important regions across the developed world and create a true regional transit authority. So hop aboard...it just makes sense!