SRT Reimagined
What if, instead of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to dismantle the Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT), it was transformed into a vibrant and iconic community space?
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OUR VISION
We envision the SRT tracks and stations evolving into an iconic, community centred public space shaped by the voices and priorities of Scarborough residents and local community organizations.
Anchored in an inclusive governance structure with broad community representation, it should ensure that community members, especially those who have been historically excluded, play a meaningful and ongoing role in shaping the corridor’s future.
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Through this approach, the SRT can become a vibrant corridor that integrates sustainable mobility, healthy recreation, local arts and culture, and inclusive economic opportunities. More than a piece of infrastructure, it will be a living expression of community leadership and belonging. An iconic spine shaped by and for Scarborough residents and a new shared centrality within the Greater Toronto Area.
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
A transformed corridor can serve as a strategic spine that connects existing and emerging Scarborough centralities and initiatives, including the Meadoway, the Scarborough Greenway, and growing density hubs such as Kennedy and Scarborough Town Centre. By integrating active transportation and future transit options into Scarborough’s broader network, the corridor can strengthen sustainable and accessible mobility across Scarborough.
The corridor offers an opportunity to create healthy, safe, and accessible recreational spaces, including a continuous linear park that supports physical activity and everyday social life. This is especially important given projected population growth along the SRT. In the Scarborough Centre area, plans anticipate growth from 14,000 residents today to more than 50,000 in the coming decades. The SRT could provide residents of all ages with opportunities to participate in healthy recreation and activities close to home.
A cultural corridor that preserves the cultural history of the SRT, and the role it played in building the Scarborough we see today. Through creative reuse, it can celebrate Scarborough’s diversity and showcase local artists, storytellers, and cultural producers, transforming the space into a living platform for expression, gathering, and shared memory. In doing so, it can strengthen community identity and foster connection at a time when many urban residents are experiencing growing social isolation.
The reuse of the corridor and stations can support inclusive and place-based economic activity by creating space for community organizations, social enterprises, small businesses, local services, education, and training that directly benefit Scarborough residents and advance community economic development. It can also support community-centered tourism that attracts visitors in ways that ensure benefits are shared and reinvested within Scarborough.
Once a vital lifeline connecting Scarborough, the SRT’s closure presents a once in a generation opportunity to transform yesterday’s transit infrastructure into a lasting legacy and source of local pride. Reimagined through community leadership and collaboration, this corridor can become a sort of Scarborough spine, an iconic landmark and a symbol of connection, belonging and centrality within the Greater Toronto Area, shaped with and for the communities it has long served.
The core beliefs that define our approach  Â
