“We’ll lose countless hours”: Transit users and City Councillor Jamaal Myers urge recommended, faster Scarborough RT replacement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Toronto, ON) – Scarborough residents are urging City Councillors to keep a promise to replace the Scarborough RT with a busway that would save commuters up to 10 minutes in each direction. More than a dozen Scarborough transit users have registered to speak to the Executive Committee on Tuesday about a report that Scarborough RT line will be replaced by bus service on November 19, 2023 until the Scarborough Subway Extension opens.

“Scarborough deserves an SRT replacement plan that is equitable to the dedicated busway replacement plan that was studied and recommended in the past and discussed extensively with the community. Any SRT replacement plan that differs from the recommended busway, which the TTC Board itself voted to support in April 2022, can only be made after consulting with and listening to residents and stakeholders that are directly impacted by this decision,” said Scarborough North Councillor Jamaal Myers. 

Transit users say they are worried that the Scarborough Subway Extension could open much later than 2030, because the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT shows that transit construction can take longer than planned. 

“If the TTC could build a busway for York University students for 8 years, why can’t they build one for Scarborough? A busway will save up to 10 minutes in each direction,” said Scarborough transit user Zain Khurram. “What if we’re taking these replacement buses for 10 years? 12 years? We’ll lose countless hours stuck in traffic.”

The staff report to the Executive Committee recommends red, bus-only lanes for replacement bus service that will commence in November 2023, but appears to backtrack on constructing an off-street busway, which is unfunded. Transit advocates support red bus-only lanes on the street, but questioned whether they will be enough to keep the high volume of replacement buses moving quickly.

“Councillors must keep their promise to deliver a busway for Scarborough so replacement bus service is fast and reliable,” said Shelagh Pizey-Allen, executive director of transit advocacy group TTCriders. “Red bus-only lanes for replacement bus service are the bare minimum, and they are needed in the interim so buses don’t get stuck in traffic. But there could still be bottlenecks behind right-turning cars.”

“Scarborough transit users report feeling heartbroken and angry about the Scarborough RT closure, and worry about how reliable the replacement service will be,” said Zane Oueja, a Toronto Metropolitan University planning student who co-authored a report based on recent surveys with Scarborough transit users. “Some residents have reported that they will switch to cars or are considering moving when the RT closes.”

Background:

  • The Scarborough RT will be replaced by bus service on November 19, 2023.
  • 70 buses per hour will be required to replace the Scarborough RT train service during rush hour.
  • The TTC Board voted in April 2022 to convert the Scarborough RT right-of-way between Kennedy Station and Ellesmere Station to a bus roadway by 2025, which would save commuters up to 10 minutes in each direction.
  • In a new report to the Executive Committee, staff recommend installing red bus-only lanes on the street for replacement buses, but no longer provide a target opening date for an off-street busway, which is unfunded.
  • The TTC reported in February 2023 that the capital costs of converting Line 3 to a right-of-way for bus operation would be $58.6 million (Class 4 estimate).
  • The TTC operated a busway for the 196 York University Rocket before the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) opened, between 2009 and 2017. The 939B Finch Express bus continues to operate on a segment of this busway today. Constructing the York University busway cost $37.8 million, and the City of Toronto funded 50% of the cost. 
  • TTCriders surveyed hundreds of Scarborough RT users in the summer of 2021. The overwhelming majority supported on-street bus-only lanes and transforming the RT rail corridor into an off-street busway with green public space for cycling and walking. The group also supports keeping the iconic RT infrastructure for public use, such as the High Line Park in New York City.
  • A report by Toronto Metropolitan University School of Urban and Regional Planning students found that residents are concerned about the reliability of Scarborough RT replacement measures, based on online and in-person surveys in Spring 2023.

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Contact:
Shelagh Pizey-Allen
(416) 309-9026

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