Read Scarborough Transit Action's Position on the LRT Vs. Subways Debate

From our allies at Scarborough Transit Action.

Toronto City Council is currently debating whether to replace the current Scarborough RT with a modern LRT, or a subway extension of the Bloor-Danforth line along Eglinton and up McCowan Rd. Both options would connect with the future LRT along Sheppard.

However, Scarborough Transit Action (STA) believes the city is being rushed to choose between two narrow options which fail to address the needs of Scarborough residents along Eglinton Ave. East, one of the highest density areas in central Scarborough.

The LRT is projected to attract about 10,000 riders, with an increase of 5,000 arriving at Kennedy Station. Since the Scarborough LRT will no longer be continuously routed through to the Eglinton Crosstown, congestion at Kennedy station and on the subways will increase. Lastly, there is little capacity for growth past 2031. It does have seven stations and would serve more residents than the subway.

The proposed subway extension would run along Eglinton, but with no station on Eglinton, one of the high density corridors in Scarborough would be ignored. It then runs up McCowan, a low density area with little vacant land for intensification. With the elimination of three RT stops including a new LRT stop at Centennial College there is little to justify spending an additional $1 billion for the longer construction time and disruption a subway would entail.

Scarborough Transit Action recommends:

  • Replacing the Scarborough RT with an LRT.
  • To adequately handle existing demand on Eglinton East of Kennedy, STA recommends that the Crosstown LRT be extended to Kingston Road. STA urges that construction commence while the work on the “at-grade” portion of the Crosstown LRT is proceeding.
  • City Council and Metrolinx consider the information in the Transport Action Ontario report, Regional Rapid Rail: A Vision for the Future
For more information, contact: Brenda Thompson, Chair 647-974-2928 [email protected] Viresh Raghubeer, Member 416-804-6486 [email protected] Bruce Budd, Member 416-690-3299 [email protected]

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