Scarborough councillors back subway extension

City councillors representing the Scarborough area sat down with Mayor Rob Ford to propose the Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT) be replaced by a subway extension plan.

Coun. Michael Thompson and Coun. Michelle Berardinetti both met separately with Ford on Monday.

The proposal would have the SRT become an extension of the current Bloor-Danforth subway line. If council approved such a plan, the current plan to convert the SRT to light rail transit (LRT) would have to be abandoned. Metrolinx, the city’s partner in building the four LRTs, told CityNews in an email that it doesn’t want to speculate on any future decision and that it’s currently in the procurement phase to build the Scarborough LRT which is based on an inked deal with the City of Toronto and the TTC.

Former leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party John Tory told CityNews that city council should take a good look at the plan.

“I think it’s worthy of being examined because from my own examination of the figures it’s the only extension that comes close to making sense from a financial point of view,” Tory said after a speech to Toronto’s Empire Club on Monday.

TTC chair Karen Stintz took to Twitter to thank Tory for his support.

Councillors may put the motion before city council as early as next week.

The subway extension was originally proposed by Stintz and Coun. Glenn De Baeremaeker last year.