It's really short sighted.
Being short sighted for not building subway in place of LRT's is like going to the bank and asking for a Million Dollar loan knowing that you only have 25 cents for each dollar of interest as well 75 cents on the principle.
For the extra dollars to build subways, what part of a transit system do you want to gut to pay for it??
Surface routes will support business a lot better than underground routes. Also, surface routes put more eyes on the street to help make them more safe.
Subways need to be where they will do the most good as well carry the higher ridership that a BRT or LRT cannot do.
The DRL is the main subway to be built first in the east to Steeles as it will have the most effect in dealing with the Yonge Line. Going to Danforth doesn't do anything for the line stopping there.
Taking the DRL over to Jane Street and then up it to Eglinton will deal with the issue in that area for no room for a ROW on the surface.
Ridership is not there now or 40 years on Finch or Sheppard to justify a subway in place of an LRT or BRT.
I prefer the DRL to be a REX that has at least 3 tracks and able to handle double deck trains up to 10 cars long.
The subway to Cloverdale, from Finch to Steeles on the Yonge line and the eastern DRL is what we needed yesterday. That is over 10 billion at today rate. I don't see 10 billion floating around to do this at this time or 5 years from now let alone the white elephants.