I hope all of you guys are communicating your ideas to the TTC:
malverntransit@toronto.ca
I urge all of you guys to write in with your ideas.
Here's snippets of my email:
The proposed route provides no service along Morningside Avenue, north of Sheppard Avenue, missing out on several areas that could generate ridership, such as the growing Morningside Heights community. Instead the route proceeds west along Sheppard Avenue, and then North along Neilson Road, a routing which does not contain many intersecting streets or points of interest, with the exception of the terminus at Malvern Town Centre.
I have three proposals which I feel would promote increased ridership and improve service to the north-east corner of Scarborough:
1) Continue north along Morningside Avenue to Finch Avenue. Proceed west on Finch Avenue, south on Neilson Road and terminate at Malvern Town Centre.
2) Proceed north on Morningside Avenue until the intersection of Neilson Road and then south on Neilson, terminating at Malvern Town Centre or continuing south on Neilson Road towards Sheppard Avenue and back to Morningside Avenue.
3) Proceed north on Morningside Avenue till McNicoll Avenue. Proceed west on McNicoll Avenue to Tapscott Road. Then proceed south on Tapscott Road, terminating at Malvern Town Centre or continuing eastward along Sewells Road back to Morningside Avenue.
The three routes proposed above would extend light rail service to the growing community of Morningside Heights while reducing demand for bus service in the community. It would provide expeditious services and connection to the TTC's heavy rail network. The proposed routes would also significantly increase ridership but capturing commuters north of Sheppard Avenue. In particular the last routing proposed would connect the residential areas along Morninside Avenue, the businesses along Tapscott Road, the Malvern Community Centre and Public library, several high density housing areas, two high schools and the Malvern Town Centre effectively negating the requirement for bus service along Tapscott Road.
Furthermore, should the TTC decide to replace the Scarborough RT with light rail technology, then the routings could easily be integrated with the Transit City program, allowing for common depot and maintenance facilities and reduced maintenance costs through commonality. Indeed, converting the SRT to light rail would allow more effective routing such as re-directing the Scarborough Malvern LRT to the Scarborough Town Centre after its westward track along Sheppard Avenue. Such a proposal would connect central Scarborough the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus and provide timely and effective service.