Transit supporters, angry that the St. Clair private right-of-way project was overturned on a technicality, are calling for a boycott of local businesses that opposed the project. Spacing Magazine has linked to a new blog which is launching the campaign.

St. Clair resident Matthew Blackett writes:

While I知 sure the judges are making the right legal decisions, it seems rather childish of SOS [Save our St. Clair —jb] to look for tiny legal loopholes in order to get their way. The TTC hosted over 50 community meetings, performed numerous Environmental Assessments, and had tremendous support from residents along St. Clair West. It reminds me of the people who officially challenge their professor on a mid-term mark � or if you won an award after the person who beat you failed to fill out the entry form correctly.

I also wonder if Ms. Smith sees any irony in delaying the construction, which is already well underway at Yonge and St Clair. As this is drawn out in the courts, the tracks and equipment will sit on St. Clair, clogging traffic and blocking businesses. When construction continues, because new tracks will have to be installed no matter what, the work schedule will stretch longer into 2006, possibly causing more harm to businesses during the consumer happy days of spring and summer. If the right-of-way does get the full go-ahead (which is still quite possible), SOS will only have caused further financial strain to their neighbourhood.

The campaign blog elaborates:

This blogger is disgusted that a small group of business owners and residents opposed to the project has successfully derailed a project that would improve public transit on a street and promote the revitalization of a neighbourhood. Furthermore, it is appalling that this group can win the case based on technicalities and semantics, despite the fact that it is a well known fact that this is one of the most intensely researched and consulted projects in the history of the City of Toronto. Lastly, a group whose primary tactics are based upon inciting fear and spreading unfounded myths should not have the power to overturn the decision of elected officials, including the Minister of the Environment, the TTC Commission, and City Council.

Efforts in the past to support the Dedicated Right of Way, in this blog’s opinion, have been too intelligent and too tame compared to the seemingly aggressive activities of the opposition groups. Therefore, we propose to the residents of the City of Toronto to BOYCOTT St Clair Avenue. Their outrageous position demands an outrageous response.

In my personal opinion, boycotting all of St. Clair is too broad a response, since there were businesses which supported the project, and they don’t deserve