Toronto's transit system has a lot of dream projects, and some that are more realistic. But now, many are up in the air as the province moves to start managing much of it from Queen's Park.
One of the projects currently up for questioning is the Scarborough Subway Extension. While the project has been contentious from the jump, the Ontario government is now proposing a privately-funded model to cover the massive cost.
The $3.35 billion project has drawn the ire of many for since it was approved, due to its seemingly small expansion (it's just one stop) and hefty price tag.
To cover the funding gap, the PC provincial government hopes to leverage the private sector, promising air rights and deals to developers.
The province also hopes to scrap the one-stop plan approved by Toronto City Council and replace it with the three-stop plan that was predicted to cost more than $4.5 billion.
With the long extension, construction for the Scarborough subway could be pushed further than its current estimate of 2026. The currently-fading SRT is at the end of its service life, and being basically held together to make it to the originally-planned 2026 completion date.
With an extended construction time, the project could leave Scarborough residents without rail transit completely.
by Staff via blogTO
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