The Transit City plan wholeheartedly shuns the expansion of Toronto's Metro. That is a problem. They can find some 20 billion for new things, but none of that was planned to be Metro. That is a problem in my opinion, and a hatred towards subways.
What is also mind boggling to me is how there is this rejection of subways. Extending sheppard by one or two stops is a no brainer. Really, a no brainer. But instead of doing that, the TC camp wants to built a tram that descends down. It's as if they are bent to pick the option that is against the expansion of the metro system on purpose, just for the heck of it. That is not okay.
A no-brainer? So it was a no-brain decision when they decided a quarter billion dollar bridge to get over the 404 and Don River isn't worth going 1-2 more kilometres by subway and then still switch to bus. Stop the line at the busy hub of Sheppard and Vic Park? It's among the most developmentally neglected intersection of major roads in the City. If not, 'one or two stops' is a huge project.
Of course subways, trams, and buses should be compared because they provide the same service in different ways. Just because subways make sense in London and LRT makes sense in Calgary doesn't mean either will be better for Toronto with Toronto's financial and transportation issues.
We built the majority of our subway system prior to stringent health and safety requirements (Check out the 'Building of the Brooklyn Bridge' and Bends for a great example). We weren't stupid for letting hundreds of workers die prematurely, but we can be smarter about it now. Russia and India aren't stupid either, but they can build more for less, because they care less for most. We would be smart to build subways now, but besides the inclusion of the DRL, we have a development plan that works for the next decade. It doesn't work well, but it works. We should look around 2014-2015, just before the PanAm Games and next provincial elections to plans for the next round of subways. Don't forget, Eglinton LRT will be underground where it counts.
From the 2001 RTES, Don Mills to Vic Park = $417m; Don Mills to Kennedy = $892m; Don Mills to CN/CP/ McCowan = $1,051m; and Don Mills to Scarborough CC = $1,535m. Since then, the Construction Price Index (inflation) has risen ~38%. There is a certain logic in leaving things "half finished" because extending the subway to VicPark or Kennedy would require a new bus depot that is a "throw-away cost". Two stations and 2.1km underground travel for $1.25b is a much harder sell to the public than seven stations and 8.0km tracks for $2.15b. Ironically, that same report has a "Spadina Radial to Vaughan CC" extension with "No" under "Potential for Success". The City wanted to stop at Steeles; the province wanted to "increase inter-regional transit". I guess that goes with ignoring capacity and development needs in favour of gut feelings and intuition.
If we had budget surpluses and votes to buy, you might be able to squeeze more funding out of the incoming PCs, but when the pro-transit Miller and McGinty can't agree on how much infrastructure we need and can afford to build, I don't see the pro-frugal Ford and Huduk increasing infrastructure spending.
I walk the Don Mills to Consumers Road section of Sheppard every weekday, except for rain and bitter cold I take the bus, so it'd be hugely in my favour if they'd "just" extended the subway a few more kilometers. However, for everyone else that goes farther, 2km of LRT is better than 1km of subway, and with an LRT line, you have an end anchor that can have substantial services built and the line 'upgraded' to subway when congestion on the line warrants the added capacity and economic benefits.
Nobody is talking about subways being bad or unwanted, only about being affordable and cost-effective. You get what you pay for and people don't like paying tax, even if it benefits them in the long run. There were subways in the transportation development plan, but other priorities and needs took precedence and a lot of it is just semantics.
I expect to see a subway Downtown to Mississauga/Airport before I see a North York to Scarborough subway.
This is not a reason as to why the metro line there should not be expanded.
What better reason is there than we don't need it and we can't afford it? We want it and it would be useful long-term, but a drowning man doesn't stop for a drink of water.