The worst part of the sheppard tram idea is the way that it will connect to the metro. To go into the ground?! Man, it's designed on purpose like that because that automatically makes it like infinity times more unlikely to ever see a subway extension there under such a scenario.
If one keeps the future in mind, then one builds above, not going into.
Oh hey, howabout we take 10 meters of subway speed vs 10 meters of bus speed vs 10 meters of walking speed. Ha see, we don't need anything than our legs. But oh wait, the tram fanatics will say, in this scenario the tram is the best solution.
That's the stupidity in looking at such small distances.
And again, we see how they are retardo once again - they are going to build a tunnel for some distance! - and they will use that tunnel for a tram rather than a subway extension again. It's eglinton all over. It's only a matter of time until we hear those pricks demanding that the sheppard line becomes a tram line entirely.
That's why Europeen and Asians have better networks than us.
You are seeing this only on the short term.
Using that thinking, we never would have build the subway system we have today. We integrated development with transit. And our subways attracted development on their own. They do that wherever they go. If this was stockholm we would have no problem building a subway into a cornfield like they did - they just build more stuff around those stations and voila, big loses at first, but nowadays they are one of the least petrol-dependent cities with some of the lowest car riderships (looking at major cities that is).
Wherever we look we see superior and aggressive expansion of metro systems. Only here can one come up with a 20 billion tram plan and shun metro expansion. It's an insult to being a resident of Toronto. A slap in the face.
Transit is NOT an expense but an INVESTMENT. As long as we don't get this, we'll have mediocre networks...
That is why the people who love cars prefer to have a mediocre transit network - imagine how much harder it would be to get people riding their cars if transit was actually good.
This is why the auto interests support tramsit city rather than a subway plan.
Ford's still quiet huh. I think we need to write him a petition to get sheppard expanded. He's too slow. I don't like that one bit. Then again, that is what we have at the top nowadays, leaders who don't give a rats ass more or less.