City staff suggest putting the brakes on raised park idea for decommissioned Scarborough RT

A vision for a raised linear park along the route of the decommissioned Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT) line is looking less likely.

The idea for the park has been floated as a way to reuse and adapt the SRT infrastructure, which went out of service permanently in 2023. But a new report from city staff highlights major challenges — legal, technical and financial — and recommends the city instead tear down the raised rail structure.

Some Scarborough residents and community advocates, however, say they're holding out hope that councillors will decide to push ahead with a raised park despite the staff advice, saying this is yet another example of Scarborough's needs not being prioritized.

"One thing about Scarborough is that I feel like there could be a lot more civic investments put in place," said Guled Arale, coordinator of the Scarborough Civic Action Network.

Challenges with costs, land ownership

The report comes after council directed staff earlier this year to look into the feasibility of reusing elevated portions of the line, including the possibility of creating an elevated linear park, similar to the popular High Line park in Manhattan, which is built on an old elevated rail line. The idea was championed by Scarborough North Coun. Jamaal Myers.

The report says a 2.5-kilometre stretch of mostly elevated SRT track, from Ellesmere Station to just east of McCowan Station is no longer required for transit use. But transforming it into an elevated park would not be simple.

The High Line park in Manhattan was built on an elevated former rail line. (John Schults/Reuters)

One of the key challenges is that the city doesn't have complete ownership of the corridor. The report notes the city has legal obligations with some third-party landowners, and that its permission to use certain portions of land is limited to transit use.

If the city decided to maintain the elevated infrastructure, it would need new agreements or expropriations which "could come at a significant cost," the report says.

The city's director of transportation and planning, James Perttula, says there are also questions about the age and condition of the structure, and if it is suitable for alternative uses.

"How would you get people up and down onto it if you were making some kind of elevated platform? And what sorts of changes or modifications or improvements to the structure would be necessary for that?" Perttula said.

City staff say repurposing portions of the SRT infrastructure into an elevated park would be complex and costly. (Grant Linton/CBC News)

The report recommends removing the structure and exploring options for the portions of the land the city owns. Perttula says those options could include trails and green spaces.

Coun. Shelley Carroll, the city's budget chief, says she supports a cautious approach.

"This is a very costly venture, the idea that's been floated," she said.

A 2018 estimate pegged the cost of decommissioning and demolishing the SRT at $150 to $175 million, though the report notes that estimate is now outdated.

'We have to look to the future' 

The president of the Agincourt Village Community Association, Rhoda Potter, wrote to the city in March in support of the raised linear park idea. After reading the latest staff report, she said she still hopes the city will find a way to make it happen.

"Life is complex, things are complex. We have to look to the future. We have to look 50 years down the road here," Potter said.

Rhoda Potter believes creating an elevated park along the old SRT corridor would help connect Scarborough residents, add green space and be good for local businesses. (Submitted by Rhoda Potter)

Potter says green space and an active transportation route would "open up a world" for Scarborough residents, and she worries if the SRT structure is torn down, the city won't prioritize reimagining the corridor.

"Our experience in Scarborough is we talk about things and they don't happen. So, we do not believe that an alternative would be put in place," Potter said.

The staff report and recommendations will be discussed at an executive committee meeting on Tuesday before going to city council.