Buses in a dedicated right-of-way eyed for Scarborough with SRT shutdown looming
By: Jennifer Pagliaro
The TTC will explore whether buses running along a dedicated right-of-way in the current SRT corridor can replace Scarborough’s rapid transit system while commuters wait for a subway extension to be built.
At Wednesday’s TTC board meeting, speakers — including student and university leaders at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus who rely on public transit — unanimously requested a bus rapid transit (BRT) route in order to bridge the gap between the SRT shutdown and a promised subway.
That replacement is the subject of a new TTC report released last week that revealed the Scarborough RT will no longer function reliably beyond 2023 without a major overhaul — a costly option that would still require some additional bus service that was not recommended by TTC staff.
That leaves Scarborough riders with at least seven years on the bus. The three-stop Scarborough subway extension promised by Premier Doug Ford is not expected to be finished until at least 2030. That line is still not fully funded.
The plan to replace the SRT with buses past 2023 is also not fully funded. The board asked the TTC to consult with the province on paying for additional buses to supplement the route. The two options — which differ in how quickly the TTC would acquire new buses — cost between $357.4 million to $374.8 million. Of that, $109.8 million to $127.3 million is currently unfunded.
Staff were asked by the board to request funding from the province for additional buses.
The SRT corridor — today an elevated expressway with subway-like cars running between McCowan Road east of the Scarborough Town Centre and Kennedy Station on Line 2 — can be turned into a BRT route, but how that could occur and what it would cost requires further study, TTC CEO Rick Leary told the board Wednesday.
It’s unclear whether the elevated concrete corridor may have to be torn down.
The TTC will now also consult the public on the bus options, including routes, and plan to report back to the board in the third quarter of this year. The board also asked that the public be asked about future uses for the SRT corridor.
Some speakers Wednesday blamed city and provincial officials for the current transit mess.
“You are responsible for the plan that led to this,” said Moya Beall, with advocacy group Scarborough Transit Action, criticizing the decision to push ahead with a subway instead of the light-rail alternative.
“Thanks to (elected officials) … our transit will become more horrible and life here will get worse.”
Terezia Zoric, president of the University of Toronto Faculty Association, said those she represents who commute to their Scarborough campus were devastated by the SRT news.
She said it’s not surprising that the SRT needs to be replaced, but what is disappointing is that the rapid transit replacement has not arrived as promised.
“The time has come to invest more and better in Scarborough — not in the overpriced, overcapacity subway, but in transit that will get people moving beyond this one corridor,” Zoric said. She and others called for a dedicated bus solution to provide reliable service for those currently using the SRT.
Other requests included electric buses to avoid additional greenhouse gases and frequent service matching that of the SRT.
Rapid bus transit in the SRT corridor would likely nullify any attempt to return to the original LRT plan.
The light-rail line, originally approved by council and agreed to with the province at no cost to the city, was to run in the SRT corridor. It was cancelled under former mayor Rob Ford in 2013 in favour of a costlier subway that is projected to serve fewer people.
That plan has continued to be supported by Mayor John Tory and a majority of Scarborough-area councillors with the exception of Coun. Paul Ainslie, who has advocated for a network of LRTs to serve local residents.