Take My Corridor, Please!

Remember Mike Hurst's proposal back in early 2003 when he was Mayor, the so-called "Made in Windsor" solution that was sprung on citizens one morning after another secret Council meeting. [Those in camera meetings really should be banned except for the most restricted purposes!] That solution was rejected by Council and was the beginning of the end of Mike's career as Mayor of Windsor.

In case you forgot, that solution included:

• "The city's latest border plan, endorsed behind closed doors by council, supports truck traffic and an inspection plaza on a portion of the DRTP rail corridor north of the expressway...
  
  In exchange the city has asked ...that the DRTP rail corridor south of the expressway be converted to green space..."
  

To its credit STOPDRTP turned down the offer of "green space" even though its supporters had the most to gain it seemed at first blush. We rejected that solution because we knew it was nothing more than a precursor to DRTP South being used eventually as a truck route resulting in an intrusive truck expressway through the heart of Windsor. Back then, that truck expressway seemed to be a 2-lane one. Now, to meet DRIC requirements, it would have to be 6-lanes.

DRTP has a big problem and it must be Mike Hurst's job as CEO to figure out a solution. The problem--they have spent mega-millions of CP Rail shareholders and OMERS pensioners money on a project that failed and has been rejected by DRIC as a solution to our border woes. What do they do now?

One alternative is to write-down the assets or write-off the project. But that would cause OMERS/Borealis problems with the FSCO in its marathon, almost 2 year-old investigation of OMERS.

A better alternative is to use some of the DRTP assets to recoup some cash. Check out my previous BLOG September 27, 2005 "Mike Hurst'll Turn Off The Light For You!"

You can see DRTP failing right before our eyes. It has been:

• The long-term solution
• The short-term solution
• The DRTP North solution
• The "enhanced" DRTP solution
• The "use our corridor" solution

I can almost hear the old Henny Youngman one-liner...."Take my corridor, Please!"

So up popped Mike again in the Star:

• "Backers of a border traffic proposal are willing to discuss tunnelling and greenway options for its rail corridor, former mayor Mike Hurst told city councillors Thursday...
  
  Timing for renewed consideration of DRTP fits in with the city's latest push to have border truck traffic sent through a tunnel, plus its vision to consolidate the city's railway lines and convert the property into green space, Hurst said.
  
  "We want to bring our thinking out to the public and engage in some discussion," he said."

Mike has not capitulated totally yet on using DRTP. There are still possible lawsuits to fight over DRIC's rejection of DRTP as a border solution. Marge Byington made a very impassioned case when appearing in front of the Michigan Legislators in Lansing [BLOG March 31, 2006 "More From Lansing"]

If DRTP loses on its challenge in front of the OMB hearing respecting the City's rail by-law that has started this week or if you read Mike Hurst saying "Windsor should buy our rails for a new Trail," then you will know DRTP is done!