Could the Scarborough RT really become a High Line–style elevated park?

Assuming the city goes ahead with the Scarborough subway (and maybe that’s too much to assume), the bare bones of the project—the disused RT railways—are already in place. It would cost $70 million to tear them down, according to Byford. The question, then, is whether an elevated park would be a wiser—cheaper, even—option.

“In the first instance, all you need to do is put up guardrails and put down a surface once you take out the track bed,” says Ken Greenberg, Toronto’s former director of urban design and architecture. “Any of that would be miniscule compared to the costs of demolition.” Beyond that, the park’s price tag would depend on its specifics: the addition of amenities, the ambition of the design and the creation of access points between existing stations. Together, the three stages of the 2.4-kilometre-long High Line cost about $185 million, a combination of city, state, federal and charity money. By comparison, the RT runs for 6.4 kilometres—a full four kilometres longer.

Operating costs are tough to estimate. The High Line eats up almost $5 million annually. Because it’s not in a high-density area like its New York counterpart, the RT would probably have significantly less traffic, which might decrease maintenance costs but would pose other problems. The park would be in a relatively sparsely populated area, cut off from the city, which could leave it prone to vandalism and crime. At best, the place would feel lonely much of the time.

Greenberg contends that a Scarborough High Line would spur development in the area, which would eventually fill the park and turn the project into a net financial boon. “The High Line has literally spawned billions and billions of dollars of investment,” he says. “Here, you’re not right in the heart of Manhattan, but on the other hand, it would be a real attraction to Scarborough.”

“If you did the economic analysis,” Greenberg says, “I’m pretty convinced this would be a winning proposition.”