Not under the criteria that the city staffs looked at. It can't be elevated cause no one wants to see this ugly concrete beam in their backyard or front windows along the new townhouse. So it has to be tunneled.
So even though 95% of this route has nothing directly fronting Eglinton, this option is discarded because of the hypothetical aesthetic objections of a couple dozen townhomes?
I'd also like to point out that there is nothing but empty fields on the south side of Eglinton across from the townhomes, so the LRT could swing over to that end if more setback is needed. Expropriation is always an option in a multibillion dollar project like this.
I think the main option looked at in the grade separation study for Martin Grove was tunnelled, anyway, to better avoid the hydro wires.
Grade separation would be an addition 5 minutes of walking time spent with the station to enter and exit from the platform. It also means making people with walking difficulties even harder to access transit. For a short trip, this is super unappealing and I rather ride the bus instead. I really don't see how this is the best benefit cause obvious BRT on shoulder side bus lanes would been so much better. They should just do that and run artics every 5 minute with POP. Same with Sheppard East.
5 minutes for one flight of stairs? This isn't the DRL queen station with its 5 levels of concourses and mezzanines. These stations would all be accessible with elevators.
Frequent stops are good for saving people from having to walk. Transit is more effective when it is in a non-overlapping, and therefore complementary role with walking. If we're spending billions of dollars on Eglinton West, it should function as a trunk line to the airport instead of as an expensive local bus route.
If you're making a short trip, then walking or a local bus is better suited to your needs.
But TBH, I think you're right about BRT on Eglinton West and Sheppard East. There are already higher priority projects (DRL, RER) which will use up all the borrowing room in the near future, so BRT is an affordable way to improve transit in areas that don't merit rapid transit yet.