Scarborough RT riders want dedicated busway, not seven years of shuttles

Scarborough RT riders would overwhelmingly prefer a dedicated busway over seven years of shuttle buses once the transit line closes next year, a new report says.

Ahead of the Scarborough RT’s planned closure in 2023, and the replacement of service with shuttle buses until the Scarborough Subway Extension opens in 2030, transit advocacy group TTCriders carried out a survey among transit riders. According to their results, a surprising 63% of respondents did not even know that the line was scheduled to shut down next year.

An overwhelming 91.5% of respondents agreed that rather than using shuttle busses, the existing Scarborough RT rail corridor should be converted into a busway and/or used for other community purposes, such as bicycle paths or green space. And 75.9% said that they support the creation of bus lanes so that shuttle buses can travel faster.

“Transit users know that buses in traffic will be slower than buses in a dedicated corridor,” the report reads. “The TTC notes that trips between Scarborough Centre Station and Kennedy Station take approximately 10 minutes one-way via the existing SRT, but would take 15-18 minutes via bus in traffic, an increase of 50 to 80%.”

The idea of converting the rail corridor isn’t new. In fact, in March of last year, Toronto City Council voted to look into two alternative transit options for when the SRT line shuts down, one of which involved transforming the elevated SRT structure into an above-grade Bus Rapid Transit. The second option would consider the feasibility of removing the elevated SRT infrastructure altogether and operating an at-grade Bus Rapid Transit. No official decisions have been made as of yet.

If the City does decide to go ahead with the bus right-of-way on the rail corridor, however, it won’t be an immediate fix.

“The TTC estimates that converting the SRT corridor to a dedicated busway will take two years after the closure of the SRT in 2023,” the report says. “During this construction time, the TTC plans to operate on-street replacement buses.”