Rainforest
Senior Member
Inequality in access always exists, it is caused by the very nature of high-order transit construction. Once you select a route, some riders will be closer to it and some will be further.
It is impossible to eliminate such inequality, but possible to reduce it by spreading out high-order "trunk" lines.
Scarborough subway won't be empty; its load will be similar to that of the western section of BD (west of Jane) or Spadina subway (north of Wilson). The local density in those areas is similar, and the feeder network may even be slightly better in Scarborough (both N-S and E-W routes).
There is no evidence that the desire to raise property values was the main motivation for Scarborough subway. However, it is evident that riders from Scarborough heading downtown prefer to have two transfers (bus - BD - Yonge) rather than three transfers (bus - RT - BD - Yonge).
The number of subway stations in each former municipality is, indeed, a useless measure. A subway or commuter train station just across the former border and easily accessible with local transit is more valuable for a rider than a station located at the other end of the former municipality and not easily accessible. Thus, the Spadina subway extension will help northern Etobicoke even though it won't cross its border. A DRL - Don Mills line would help the western Scarborough even if it did not cross the border.
However, I respectfully disagree regarding the spreading out of subways; that does help downtown-bound riders from every neighborhood, even though does not solve all problems.
. As for Karen Stintz on the other hand, her ambitions change on a daily basis like a sunflower which follows the sun, so stay tuned for next week's transit plan.
