(Toronto, ON) – Transit advocacy organization TTCriders released the following statement about the Scarborough RT (Line 3) derailment on July 24, 2023:
“The derailment of the Scarborough RT (Line 3) is unimaginable and must be fully investigated. The consequences could have been much worse. Transit riders need answers about how this happened and whether the infrastructure and vehicles were being adequately maintained.
Today’s terrifying accident reminds us of the urgent need to invest in maintaining our public transit system. The TTC created a “State of Good Repair” program for a reason: the fatal 1995 Russell Hill subway accident.
Yet the TTC recently cancelled a Request for Proposals to replace subway trains on Line 2 because it could not secure the required funding from provincial and federal governments. The TTC has a State of Good Repair backlog of $6.3 billion over the next ten years. All levels of government must invest in maintaining a safe, reliable system.
The Scarborough RT is set to be decommissioned in 4 months, but the Scarborough Subway Extension will be under construction until 2030 or later. To replace the current RT service in the interim, 70 replacement buses per hour are required during rush hour. The TTC dispatched only 20 shuttles on Monday night, which is nowhere near enough to meet Scarborough’s needs.
While the TTC has not yet completed bus bay refurbishments at Kennedy Station in preparation for the 70 shuttles, some things can be done immediately to keep Scarborough transit users moving and ensure that riders have confidence in the system:
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Toronto City Council must immediately advance with its approved plan for red bus-only lanes, so shuttle buses do not get stuck in traffic.
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The provincial government must immediately fund free TTC-GO transfers to unlock more rapid transit options for Scarborough residents.
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The provincial government must commit to fully funding a busway in the Scarborough RT corridor after the line is decommissioned, which will save riders 10 minutes in each direction.
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Investigate the incident thoroughly and independently, with a report on critical unfunded gaps in the TTC’s State of Good Repair program and what the TTC will do to ensure a derailment never occurs again."