When I attended
York University, I could not understand why there was no subway to
the main campus at Keele and Steeles. It seemed like a natural
progression -- extend the Spadina subway line toward a major
destination.
On the surface,
bringing trains north from Downsview station still seems like a
logical idea -- and the provincial government may be ready to pay
part of the $1.5 billion cost. However, Toronto's experience with
subway building shows what happens to grand projects that seemed
logical at the time.
Our two most
recent subways -- the Sheppard line and the Spadina line between St.
George and Downsview stations -- move far fewer people than their
capacity. Sheppard runs four-car trains instead of six, and in peak
hours every other train on the Spadina line turns back at St. Clair
West station.
Many argue that
if you just extend these routes, they will get busier. Does that
justify the hundreds of millions of dollars in construction costs?
Meanwhile, citizens elsewhere in Toronto ride buses or streetcars
that get stuck in traffic.
Improving
transit toward York makes sense. It will attract some riders from
905 who now crowd onto Yonge subway trains. Commuters in congested
York Region will be more disposed to leave their cars for transit.
Housing and commercial development will be spurred along the new
subway corridor.
However,
improvement does not only mean building subways. Dedicated bus and
light rail lines -- where transit vehicles do not mix with traffic
-- can do the job, at much less cost per kilometer. Also, there is
an underused GO Transit rail line just a short distance from York U.
Spending $1.5
billion in tax dollars may even postpone or kill more cost-effective
-- but less glamorous -- transit projects elsewhere.
Subways help
politicians by showing they are doing something. Subways boost
economic growth along their routes. Subways get transit out of the
way of cars. At too high a cost.
The York subway
is the right move -- if politicians and citizens commit to dramatic
increases in development along the entire Spadina line. Past
experience indicates this will not happen any time soon.
The York subway
is the right move -- if it inspires us to also build a network of
traffic-free bus and light rail lines across greater Toronto. The
province may also support projects in Brampton, Mississauga and York
Region, but can they truly address widespread congestion?
Subways should
be built in locations with sufficient potential demand. Constructing
lines that may only justify their high price tag in 50 years is
misspending the funds that are needed for better transit right now.
Yes, the subway
to York will benefit some riders by offering a simpler, quicker
ride. But most of the benefits will have nothing to do with making
our overall transit service faster or more reliable. It’s transit
planning based on politics, not on what is needed by commuters
across Toronto.
If you'd like
to know more details about the subway extension, including links to
the plans, read transit advocate Steve Munro's "Who Will Ride the
York University Subway?" at
www.stevemunro.ca.