In 2014, subway riders in the midtown area will see their route temporarily split up. The replacement of a track bed between Eglinton station and St. Clair stations will force riders to board a shuttle bus for the 2.2 kilometres between stations. The construction does not have an estimated completion time.
Counncillor Josh Matlow thinks it’s too early to panic.
“It’s premature to assume that there won’t be a reasonable plan put together,” he said. “What I think is really important is to make sure that transit users have a way to get from A to B in an efficient way and not have their lives put into con-fusion because they don’t know if they’re going to get to work on time.”
The Yonge-Eglinton area, one identified as an urban growth area by the Province of Ontario, is in a period of transition as the city attempts to accommodate increasing density.
One complaint from residents is the crowded subway platforms. “You can’t get on the subway, even today,” said resident Sean Boulton.
Now that crowding will spill onto Yonge’s congested sidewalks as commuters wait to board busses.
Matlow says that this construction could result in even more congestion than anticipated. “If more people feel that transit is not going to work, then they choose to take cars — then everyone in cars is going to find themselves in deeper gridlock.”
The city is working on long-and-short-term solutions with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to make the journey as painless as possible.
“The intent is to minimize inconvenience,” said Tim Laspa, director of transportation planning for the City of Toronto, City Planning Division. Laspa believes that the proposed Downtown Relief line and the incoming Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit line will do that.
Matlow thinks one short-term solution may be a dedicated lane for busses. “While it’ll be frustrating for some for a temporary period of time, a reserved express lane during the construction period for express buses may be a reasonable solution in a highly imperfect and challenging situation.”
