Hypothetical situation...
What are people's thoughts if a Mayor Tory announced that Sheppard East won't be continued due to hopes that the subway will eventually be extended instead. In return, the Finch LRT will be fully-built from Finch (on the Yonge line) all the way to Humber College?
I would consider downgrading Sheppard East from LRT to BRT, and using the saved funds to extend Finch LRT from Keele to Yonge.
BRT on Sheppard East would immediately help people who live in the east end and rely on transit, and at the same time, retain hopes of building express rail along Sheppard in the longer term.
Plus, Sheppard East BRT can integrate with the Durham Pulse LRT. Some buses can start at Don Mills subway, travel along Sheppard to Midland or Brimley, then turn south, serve STC, and then run along Ellesmere and Kingston Rd into Durham.
Though, I am not sure what is the expected peak ridership on Sheppard East, with Scarborough Subway intercepting some riders at McCowan. If it is within 2,000 pphpd at any time, BRT will work well. If it is between 2,000 and 3,000 during the peak, BRT with artic buses still can work but LRT would be more labor-efficient (up to 300 passengers per driver in LRT, vs 120 in BRT). If it is more than 3,000 pphpd, BRT may not be viable.