Station closures and express bus service in lieu of a SRT for up to three years are just two things transit users will have to deal with before a renovated and extended Scarborough Rapid Transit line is complete and operational.
Members of the public learned all about the project at an open house held at the Chinese Cultural Centre on Sheppard Avenue, Thursday, March 11; the latest in a series of public open house events.The redevelopment and extension of the 25-year-old line is part of a the TTC's massive transit expansion project Transit City that currently includes funding for three other projects. With massive infrastructure improvements come inconvenience and disruptions and users of the SRT line will experience those once construction begins some time next year."We will provide the best service that we can, but when you take away rapid transit service versus buses people won't be happy, I presume," said Rick Thompson, the TTC project manager.The earliest construction could begin would be mid-2011, but once it begins the SRT line could be closed for up to three years and train service between the Scarborough Town Centre and Kennedy station would be replaced with "frequent express bus service." There has been talk that these buses would travel in dedicated lanes along possibly Midland Avenue or Brimley Road, but those plans are still under discussion, Thompson said. Temporary bus terminals will be required at Scarborough Town Centre and Kennedy station to accommodate the additional bus service.While many may not be happy about the disruption, most understand it is needed to get a better transit system.Urvesh Batl lives near the future Sheppard SRT station; he came to the open house to get more information about the project."I'm interested in seeing infrastructure improvements in Scarborough so hopefully they'll do more than they've done," he said. "This looks like a step in the right direction."Batl doesn't currently use the SRT line because it would make his commute to his job downtown too long. Instead he spends an extra $160 a month using the TTC and GO train in an effort to cut an hour off his daily commute. He's looking forward to the completion of the SRT project so he can save that money and instead use the TTC to travel the whole route to his office.He thinks the extension is such a good idea he'd really like to see phase II done as soon as possible as well."I like the idea of the Malvern (extension)," Batl said. "It'd be nice to see phase II go through. There are a lot of apartment buildings in that area."The province, which is funding the line through Metrolinx, has only approved the $1.4 billion to complete the conversion and first phase of expansion. Future additions to the project could include the 1.7-kilometre extension to the Malvern Town Centre and stations at Bellamy and Brimley Roads - though city staff and the TTC are working to make the case for the inclusion of a Brimley station in the first round of construction. It costs about $20 million to rough in a station, which is currently part of the plan at Bellamy and Brimley, and $45 million to actually build the station.The line will travel 3.4 km from McCowan to Sheppard with new stations at Centennial College and Sheppard Avenue, where it will connect with the Sheppard LRT.The new line will go past Pat Poppleton's building on Markham Road near Progress Avenue. She's concerned about what this will mean to the ravine in terms of wildlife and environmental protection, as well she's concerned about how it will look and the sound."I know we have to have it, but I'd say our property value would lower," she said. "It's a noisy street right now, imagine when (the SRT) gets in.The conversion to the LRT technology on the line means a doubling of capacity. By 2031, the line is projected to carry more than 90,000 passengers a day.The changes will also mean an easier transfer for riders from the SRT to subway at Kennedy station as the SRT is to come in underground. Changes will be made to the station to accommodate the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the SRT, and the yet unfunded Scarborough Malvern LRT lines.