Woe to the student who must trek from one U of T campus to another. Spread between the downtown core, Scarborough and Mississauga, a trip to all three campuses is basically a tour of the GTA, without the good parts.
So what happens to the unfortunate student stuck travelling from Scarborough to Mississauga, or vice versa?
Vlad Glebov, vice president UTM for SAC, has never had to consider it. “In the two years I’ve been on SAC I’ve never been approached with that problem,” he said.
Prerequisites being what they are, this reporter finds himself in that unlikely, unenviable position. So how does one get from one suburban academic enclave to another?
For starters, the three different transit systems are necessary to reach UTM. A $2.75 TTC ride leads to the GO station. From there, it’s a 45-minute train ride to Union Station, followed by an hour and a half-long GO bus ride to Mississauga’s Square One mall. A return trip costs roughly $16. From Square One it’s a ride on Mississauga Transit for $2.50, directly to the campus. Altogether, $26.50 and a 4-5 hour return trip for a two-hour class.
Glebov explained that students at UTM pay an annual levy of $80 that allows them to travel free to St. George and back. But one that doesn’t help those going from Scarborough to Mississauga.
The drive to UTM is worse. Google Maps suggests 58 kilometres in 51 minutes. But that does not factor in the traffic in the Yorkdale Mall and Pearson International Airport area. Traffic also swallows any time saved by driving.
An alternate route, taking the DVP to the Gardiner and then going straight on to Mississauga Road for a 15-minute drive is no better.
The cost? A minimum of $20 gas both ways and extortionist parking rates from the university.
Lessons learned? Pay attention to prerequisites. And get the fuck out of the suburbs.
