I understand what you mean and I am in agreement, why do so much when it's just going to be removed in due time? I'm hoping that the streetcar line goes in as soon as possible, but who knows when construction will actually start as it awaits the completion of the EA process, public consultations (like they care, read Sheppard LRT East), engineering and other designs, and funding.
I guess it depends on how much landscaping is put in. Planting many trees all the way to Bathurst would cost a lot for such a short period of time, and they will still be small by the time they are removed. I would prefer laying sod down in the interim, with a few trees at certain intersections. It all depends on cost, including maintenance. The last thing I want is an asphalt surface. I suppose a nice brick pattern would be ok. I don't know the differences in cost per sq. m for the different surfaces.
The only concern I have about landscaping, and I know others feel the same, is the maintenance. Dying vegetation, or even worse, infested with weeds, is pitiful. On the weekend when I was walking around "Downtown Markham", it was such a sad sight to see the lack of maintenance of landscaping. I'm referring to the centre median along Enterprise Blvd. Since there are no sidewalks, I walked along the median. The only thing growing were weeds, if that. I understand it's basically a big construction site, but still.
