UTSC community members have expressed support for an eastern extension to the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) that is currently being built. The LRT is planned to be 19 kilometres long with 25 stops, linking 54 bus routes and three subway stations.

The construction, which has been underway since 2016, would extend the current line by 15 kilometres from Kennedy Station to Malvern, passing through UTSC on its way and including 21 new stops with three new connections to GO Transit. 

However, Scarborough community members have raised concerns that the project isn’t properly funded, and no updates have been given on construction since December 2020. While the City remains committed to the extension, the provincial government has focused its attention on other transit options.

Project details

The project is designed to help customers cross the city more quickly, and to provide them with a better experience when moving between LRT stations and the TTC subway system. It also aims to make transit more reliable, reduce traffic congestion, and reduce travel time. 

Moreover, the project is supposed to alleviate the crowded experience of riding the TTC that is familiar to Scarborough Rouge Park riders, and provide a strategic link between UTSC and “equity-deserving communities” in the surrounding area, according to the City’s webpage for LRT updates.

Though Ontario Premier Doug Ford outlined plans for a Scarborough subway, many expressed disappointment in this transit strategy. Proponents of the new development have argued that the LRT would be a better alternative to the bus, which is the primary way to get around by public transport. 

University and student impact

In a recent interview with Toronto.com, Andrew Arifuzzaman, UTSC’s chief administrative officer, expressed support for the project, explaining that the campus’ “new master plan” has been created with the extension in mind. 

The plan Arifuzzaman referenced intends to eliminate barriers between the university and surrounding communities so that more people can access UTSC’s infrastructure and amenities. He added that extensions to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT were a “key driver” of these changes. 

Owen Chiu, a fourth-year student at UTSC, said in an interview with The Varsity that, as a commuter, he hopes these efforts will improve his experience with the TTC. While Chiu acknowledged that, for the most part, the TTC is “not bad” and that the subway “runs fast and for most of the day,” he added that the fact that UTSC is so remote has made his commute times long. 

Chiu shared a recent experience where he was unable to board a bus because it had already reached capacity. He had just finished school at the time. “Every bus was just packed, and the bus drivers [wouldn’t] let anyone on, and I saw my same bus go by four times without stopping,” he reflected.

While Chiu noted that the LRT extension would help some UTSC students, he noted that dedicated bus lanes, such as one the provincial government is trying to develop in the Ellesmere area, would be more beneficial to students. “I think those actually help UTSC students a lot more, because buses that take us right to campus are driving around those roads,” he said.