Canada has looked at trackless trams instead of Light Rail, as Light Rail is so expensive to build, with heaps of construction emissions from steel and construction materials and not to mention the disruption of construction, what are trackless trams that 1/20 th the cost of light rail, can be up and running in months, and have better resilience. If you want an innovative mid-tier mass public transport system, watch these links. Why would we build light rail?
You mention that Toronto is not as much interested in transit as it is in politics. This is true not only for transit but for every decision the city makes. To fix transit and every other thing (dirty parks, garbage pick up, etc.) the Provincial government must step in and replace the mega city with boroughs, perhaps extending into the suburbs, and a corresponding ‘metro’ structure for transit and police. Back to the future!
Lots of great ideas. The brt lite network really needs to happen all over the city. I get the reasons for choosing but i still think warden and Kennedy (via busway) are the right choices.
On the Scarborough Linear i really hope Scarborough doesn't ever trust another proposal for a gadgetbahn line again. Whatever technology we use have got to be available on the north american market preferably in ontario.
Ill also put out the pitential for a malvern / midtown GO line. If ALTO ends up using the belville subdivision through Scarborough, it could be a great opportunity to tack on some GO stations serving central scarborough and malvern with really competitive travel times to Downtown. Without ALTO its a bit of a pipe dream so we’ll have to wait for an alignment to be chosen.
I’m all for extending the existing east–west lines. Line 5 Eglinton should push beyond Kennedy toward UTSC and continue northeast to the Zoo, despite the current bottlenecks. Line 4 Sheppard needs to reach McCowan—ideally via STC—then follow Ellesmere to serve both Centennial and UTSC. And Line 2 Bloor–Danforth should extend north toward Markville.
It’s a big, multi-decade build, no question—but that’s exactly why the corridors should be protected now and the long-term plan made clear. Malvern wouldn’t sit directly on the subway, but it would be within close reach. In the meantime—and even alongside future subway expansion—a practical BRT grid could fill the gaps where it makes sense.
That approach prioritizes proven, higher-capacity technology, avoids stitching together a strangely routed LRT, and balances long-term vision with meaningful short-term improvements.
Hm. For the new SX bus, how far would the stops be spaced apart? And would it be on top of existing service, or replacing the current express bus or something else?
For the north-south express bus corridors, Warden and Kennedy would be better options than Birchmount and Midland imo. They are far busier streets with more destinations. Otherwise, great article!
Canada has looked at trackless trams instead of Light Rail, as Light Rail is so expensive to build, with heaps of construction emissions from steel and construction materials and not to mention the disruption of construction, what are trackless trams that 1/20 th the cost of light rail, can be up and running in months, and have better resilience. If you want an innovative mid-tier mass public transport system, watch these links. Why would we build light rail?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QhW-Dhnguo
DRT英语.mp4
https://tracklesstrams.nz/media-related
You mention that Toronto is not as much interested in transit as it is in politics. This is true not only for transit but for every decision the city makes. To fix transit and every other thing (dirty parks, garbage pick up, etc.) the Provincial government must step in and replace the mega city with boroughs, perhaps extending into the suburbs, and a corresponding ‘metro’ structure for transit and police. Back to the future!
Lots of great ideas. The brt lite network really needs to happen all over the city. I get the reasons for choosing but i still think warden and Kennedy (via busway) are the right choices.
On the Scarborough Linear i really hope Scarborough doesn't ever trust another proposal for a gadgetbahn line again. Whatever technology we use have got to be available on the north american market preferably in ontario.
Ill also put out the pitential for a malvern / midtown GO line. If ALTO ends up using the belville subdivision through Scarborough, it could be a great opportunity to tack on some GO stations serving central scarborough and malvern with really competitive travel times to Downtown. Without ALTO its a bit of a pipe dream so we’ll have to wait for an alignment to be chosen.
I’m all for extending the existing east–west lines. Line 5 Eglinton should push beyond Kennedy toward UTSC and continue northeast to the Zoo, despite the current bottlenecks. Line 4 Sheppard needs to reach McCowan—ideally via STC—then follow Ellesmere to serve both Centennial and UTSC. And Line 2 Bloor–Danforth should extend north toward Markville.
It’s a big, multi-decade build, no question—but that’s exactly why the corridors should be protected now and the long-term plan made clear. Malvern wouldn’t sit directly on the subway, but it would be within close reach. In the meantime—and even alongside future subway expansion—a practical BRT grid could fill the gaps where it makes sense.
That approach prioritizes proven, higher-capacity technology, avoids stitching together a strangely routed LRT, and balances long-term vision with meaningful short-term improvements.
Hm. For the new SX bus, how far would the stops be spaced apart? And would it be on top of existing service, or replacing the current express bus or something else?
For the north-south express bus corridors, Warden and Kennedy would be better options than Birchmount and Midland imo. They are far busier streets with more destinations. Otherwise, great article!