Forgotten Way: Scarborough TTC

There is no respectable, sophisticated way to say this: boy does it suck to be a Scarborough transit rider. Or rather, a Scarborough resident in need of a ride on a transit system that does not exist.

- ΕΜΜΑ TEITEL

The city's proposed TTC busway, which is expected to drastically reduce commute times, is still unfunded. When it isn't a political football, Scarborough is an afterthought, writes Emma Teitel.

This is the situation for the tens of thousands of people who used to travel on the Scarborough RT daily, until its permanent closure last year; a day we all knew was coming but came earlier than planned, following a derailment incident in July that sent five people to hospital.

However, as if the derailment and subsequent closure of the line weren’t bad enough, residents now find themselves stranded with no comparable ride replacement, unless you count the bus — or Uber — which reported a spike in Scarborough ride requests in the months after the RT closed.

This is nothing short of shameful as Scarborough residents are still waiting on the mythical Scarborough subway extension to be completed. Yet not only is the subway’s completion date an estimated six years away; the dedicated busway that was supposed to effectively replace the RT until the subway opens isn’t ready either. In fact, it won’t be ready until “at least 2027,” according to the Star’s transportation reporter, Lex Harvey.