But drl long is currently in discussion which means that there is no real need to push for Sheppard extension since the majority of the lrt riders would be heading downtown not to y&s. If anything scarborough should want drl long and be fighting for a shepherd stop on the bloor extension
I don't disagree with that, but then we don't know what the current real preferences of the residents are. Once presented with the choice of expediting DRL Long vs extending the Sheppard line, they might actually prefer DRL Long.
Some of the local councilors may just be playing the old song because that's the only one they know.
If Scarborough residents and councillors were smart, they'd pridorise DRL Long over the Sheppard extension. For Financial District bound trips originating in Scarborough, the DRL will have faster trip times than any subway proposal within Scarborough. The DRL is faster even for many trips from far easterly Scarborough.
It's not hard to see why the DRL is so much fatser than any other options. Trip times from Sheppard/Don Mills to Finacial District were estimated to be only 19 minutes, because most of the DRL Long route has low station density.
In comparison, the Sheppard Subway extension would not be remotely competitive with the speeds the DRL offers. It takes 28 minutes to get from Sheppard-Yonge Station to King; this leg of the trip alone makes the Sheppard Line completely uncompetitive for Downtown-bound travel.
Likewise, the Scarborough Subway Station has to travel half of Line 2, with stops every 700 meters or so, making it uncompetitive with the DRL.
It'll take roughly 10 minutes to travel from Eglinton/Don Mills to the Financial District via DRL. This is so quick that it'll be faster for Crosstown East passengers to bypass Line 2 at Kennedy Station and take the DRL instead. From Kennedy Station, you'll be able to travel downtown in only 25 minutes (vs 35 mins today).
So the Sheppard East LRT/BRT, Crosstown East LRT and Relief Line Long is the most beneficial plan for Scarborough, in my opinion.
Finally, regardless of if Sheppard East LRT is built, I expect that the DRL Long will be the death knell for any Sheppard Subway extension proposals. The DRL will divert much of the demand for Sheppard Line trips west to Yonge, making Sheppard's already weak peak point/direction ridership numbers even more anemic. The DRL will also put an end to the Sheppard Line ending awkwardly at an arbitrary point, meaning they'll be less motivation to extend the line so it looks less awkward on the map.