There's a better way to run buses when Scarborough RT shuts down in 2023, councillors say

The planned closure of the Scarborough RT in 2023 means transit users are likely facing at least seven years on shuttle buses instead of the quicker light rail system they've been accustomed to since the mid-1980s.

But could there be a way to minimize the lost time and added stress expected as part of their soon-to-be downgraded commute?

Coun. Paul Ainslie, who represents Ward 24, Scarborough-Guildwood, believes that could be accomplished by temporarily redrawing the current SRT route with new dedicated bus lanes completely separated from normal traffic on their own roads — a system known as bus rapid transit (BRT).

"We have the right of way that the SRT is built on," Ainslie said in an interview. "Is there an opportunity to use that right of way on the SRT and rip out the tracks and put buses in?"

Under Ainslie's proposal, the buses would operate until the completion of the Scarborough Subway Extension, which is currently expected to open in 2030. Ainslie expressed doubt about that timeline and said it will be important to ensure Scarborough transit users do not unduly suffer during that period of construction.

Ongoing transit projects, including the Eglinton LRT and Mayor John Tory's SmartTrack plan, have both been plagued by delays.

"Their timeline is 2030," Ainslie said of those plans. "From what I've seen of major transit infrastructure projects across the GTA, nothing opens on time."

Ainslie and Coun. Josh Matlow, who represent's Ward 12, Toronto-St. Paul's, collaborated on a motion at council last week asking city staff to at least examine the feasibility and cost of their idea. The item was deferred and did not go up for debate during council's last session.

The motion also asks the city to reconsider building a light rail transit system in Scarborough, potentially in place of the three-stop subway extension planned by the provincial government, which now has an estimated price tag of $6 billion.  

Trains on the SRT, also known as the TTC's Line 3, reached the end of their expected lifespan in 2015.

TTC plans to run shuttle buses after shutdown

A report going to the Toronto Transit Commission board Wednesday lays out a plan to ensure efficient shuttle bus service when the SRT is recommended to be closed in 2023.

The report also explains why the TTC does not plan to continue operating the SRT and buses in a "hybrid" model until the subway extensions opens, citing significantly higher costs.

The TTC says that continuing to operate the SRT with supplemental buses would cost $522.4 million, compared to $374.8 million and $357.4 million, depending on when shuttle buses are replaced.

The plan recommended by the TTC does not call for the creation of a temporary BRT, but instead the construction of "roadway infrastructure improvements along the bus routing corridors."

Those enhancements would include expanded bus stops, designated bus lanes and signal timing changes to help the vehicles move more efficiently within normal traffic. The TTC plans to run about 75 buses per hour to keep the service running quickly.

Still, a bus trip from Scarborough Centre Station to Kennedy Station would take 15 to 18 minutes even with those changes, according to the TTC. The SRT currently takes about 10 minutes to make the same trip.

"Delays to service and additional running time requirements caused by SSE work are expected for the full duration of the bus plan," the report goes on to warn.

BRT an underused transit solution, experts say

Gil Penalosa, an urban planning expert and the founder of the Toronto non-profit 8 80 Cities, supports the construction of BRT on the existing SRT route and said the concept could be used more widely across the region.

He described BRT as a cost-effective transit option and said the concept has been shown to essentially double the capacity of buses on a specific route.

York Region operates BRT on Highway 7. Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, is also considering the construction of a 36-kilometre BRT that would connect Durham Region to Scarborough.

"Proper bus rapid transit could really solve the issue of mobility in Scarborough," Penalosa said.

"Specifically on this line in Scarborough, I think it's a wonderful opportunity to do it right."