Scarborough residents say a new TTC bus garage may literally destroy their neighbourhood
Hyperbole is often a weapon of choice in disputes over neighbourhood development, and a group known the Coalition Against McNicoll Bus Garage may just have out-hyperbolized them all. The Star reports that the coalition, which formed to oppose the construction of a new TTC bus garage near McNicoll and Kennedy roads in Scarborough, is worried that the facility’s biodiesel tanks will cause a conflagration.
According to the Star, the group’s presentation, during a press conference on Monday, included slides with images of famous fuel-related disasters, like the Lac Megantic explosion—which, notably, was triggered by an improperly secured freight train, not a stationary holding tank in a garage. Neighbourhood concerns also include pollution and traffic congestion, and it’s all exacerbated by the fact that the TTC’s now-vacant plot of land is near a church and a long-term care home.
“Only in Toronto would a transit agency be allowed to put a bus garage on prime real estate to the detriment of vulnerable seniors while exposing the environment and neighbourhood to unconscionable risk,” said resident Patricia Sinclair, who told CBC that she is “pro-transit.” To review: riding buses is good, but building a place to store and service them is basically like beating up an elderly person. For what it’s worth, the TTC is saying noise and air pollution should be minimal.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/real-estate/scarborough-residents-say-new-ttc-bus-garage-may-literally-destroy-neighbourhood/&title=Scarborough residents say a new TTC bus garage may literally destroy their neighbourhood&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/bus-featured.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_252215" align="alignnone" width="624"] (Image: Christopher Drost)[/caption]
Hyperbole is often a weapon of choice in disputes over neighbourhood development, and a group known the Coalition Against McNicoll Bus Garage may just have out-hyperbolized them all. The Star reports that the coalition, which formed to oppose the construction of a new TTC bus garage near McNicoll and Kennedy roads in Scarborough, is worried that the facility's biodiesel tanks will cause a conflagration.
According to the Star, the group's presentation, during a press conference on Monday, included slides with images of famous fuel-related disasters, like the Lac Megantic explosion—which, notably, was triggered by an improperly secured freight train, not a stationary holding tank in a garage. Neighbourhood concerns also include pollution and traffic congestion, and it's all exacerbated by the fact that the TTC's now-vacant plot of land is near a church and a long-term care home.
"Only in Toronto would a transit agency be allowed to put a bus garage on prime real estate to the detriment of vulnerable seniors while exposing the environment and neighbourhood to unconscionable risk," said resident Patricia Sinclair, who told CBC that she is "pro-transit.” To review: riding buses is good, but building a place to store and service them is basically like beating up an elderly person. For what it's worth, the TTC is saying noise and air pollution should be minimal.){kind=link}
lol McNicoll and Kennedy “prime real estate”
NIMBY.
The Lac-Magantic explosion was not caused by diesel oil.
I love how about 50 years ago, we didn’t need to ask residents, or land owners to do something, like building a highway, or bus garage. So if you don’t want a bus garage near your home, why would I have one near mine (which I do, by the way)? Build the fricken bus garage where you find it fit, wherever that may be, and don’t be slowed down by residents trying to get you out of there.
I going to say it. This is what you get for not accepting the LRTs.
Transit City was introduced to remove buses from the road. This includes the 7 lines plus the SRT replacement. This is equivalent to a whole bus garage of about 250 buses after future growth. Now that we’re not building transit city, we need more buses for growth.
The Scarborough subway unlike the LRT replacement doesn’t go to Centennial College, so the 3 or 4 buses for the 134C is still needed. More buses is needed as this subway extension has ONLY 3 stops. Anyone in between will need to jump onto buses.
The Sheppard subway extension only reaches STC instead of Morningside. This will take about 10 buses off the road instead of 25 or so buses needed on Sheppard East.
If the Finch LRT doesn’t get built, they won’t likely get a subway in the next 50 years. Those buses are going to stay.
Nevermind about all those unfunded LRT lines. If we don’t replace them with LRTs, the buses will need to stay. One more thing, the TTC might run out of buses 10 years after this bus garage gets built. There will be needs for another new bus garage in this city in by late 2020s.
Ever ride the LRT? It sucks. Bus schedules can be reduced on a whim. Unlike Toronto, world class cities have subways, trains, and buses that connect with each other and airports to provide both local and non-local service.