Who Wrote What and Why?
Keesmaat, the chief planner, was strongly opposed to the subway alternative. The number of reasons why it was a bad idea, she made clear, amounted to “an embarrassment of riches.” In a preliminary report to the Deputy City Manager, she had stated that “for the reasons presented, a subway is not the preferred technology to meet the future planning and transportation vision for this part of the city.”
But the report that came to council watered down Keesmaat’s position quite markedly. Instead of including any recommendation for council (along the lines that Keesmaat had already outlined), the report offered no particular option for council. To the contrary, it stated that “TTC staff have identified that either an LRT or subway can effectively serve the Scarborough RT transit corridor. Each technology option offers distinct advantages.” In addition, while an earlier analysis had estimated 9,500 subway riders by 2031, this report now projected 14,000 riders by then – although no source for this new data was ever identified.
From the media coverage of this issue one can only speculate as to why and by whom the well-established position of the city planner and the advice she intended to give council were softened and scaled back. But it would appear that some in senior positions were motivated to tell some councillors (and especially the Mayor) what they wanted to hear. The end result is that Toronto turned its back on a fully funded seven stop light rapid transit service for Scarborough in favour of a subway that will now be a one stop express service. It will provide far less service to Scarborough for at least three times the cost – the funding of which is still to be determined. If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the subway to Scarborough will be built on a foundation of weak policy advice and short-sighted political decision making.