This was a special bonus walk. I had not intended to walk the Scarborough RT, because it's not a subway. It's completely above ground. It uses subway like cars, but they're not compatible with the subway rails. But people were whining about me not doing it, and it's only about 7 km, so I decided, what the heck.
The Scarborough RT opened shortly after I moved to Toronto. Back then it was called the Scarborough LRT. Somewhere along the line it lost the L. I'm not sure why.
Spring had arrived in the last week. It was warm and sunny as Ursula and I walked to the subway station. Ursula headed west, and I headed east. I took the subway to Kennedy, and exited there.
Around Kennedy are high-rise condos that back onto the Hydro corridor. I have a friend who lived in one of them, until it gave for cancer, so she moved.
The RT runs a couple of blocks east of Kennedy, through a Hydro corridor. I was able to walk along the Hydro corridor, beside the RT. I realized that I had forgotten to put on my hiking boots. But it was only a short walk, and I had calluses on my heels now, so I thought it should be fine. I was glad to be doing it in the morning, when the ground was still frozen, because by this afternoon it would be a soggy mess.
Suburbia runs along either side of the Hydro corridor. But it was rather pleasant walking, because it was quiet, except for the chirping of birds.
Ahead there was a fence, so I was worried that I would be trapped, but there was a bridge going over the RT tracks, and you could go under it. On the other side there was a large field full baseball diamonds beside the Hydro corridor.
As I approached Lawrence my way was blocked by a Hydro substation. Beyond that I could see some new townhouses. I had to make my way west to get around the substation. I had to go almost all the way to Kennedy. I got onto the streets going through the new townhouses, and found myself on Mike Myers Drive.
I hit Lawrence and went a little east to get to the station.
After the station you can't walk beside the RT tracks, because police, ambulance, and city works places are in the way. I walked a little east until I could walk through parking lots to get to a street that paralleled the train tracks. This is a suburban industrial area.
I passed the last road that led back to Kennedy. The sign said no exit, but I figured I would be able to walk through parking lots again. I got to the end of the road, and it wasn't possible. So I had to walk through parking lots heading west, to get to Kennedy. This was suburban strip mall hell. At this point I was getting warm, so I shed a layer.
I walked up to Ellesmere, and east along it to the station.
Passed the station it's another city works yard on one side and new townhouses on the other.
It's only about a block to the Midland station, which is a long half block north of Ellesmere.
I was hoping to be able to walk beside the tracks from this point, as they followed a river, but it was all fenced off. So I walked back to Ellesmere and continued on it.
This is an area of lowrise apartments, and suburban strip malls. Then we get into more suburban industrial areas.
I headed up Brimley. The west side is a suburban industrial area. The east side is new high-rise condos surrounding the Scarborough Town Centre. I walked up to the road that runs beside the RT, and took it to the Scarborough Town Centre.
The Scarborough Town Centre is a large shopping mall. Back when I lived in Markham, and I wanted to go downtown, I would drive here, park my car in the parking lot, and hop the RT and then the subway downtown.
I walked through the mall to get to the RT station.
I decided to stay outside. I walked past a government building and the YMCA. I walked through the Town Centre parking lot. The McCowan Station is just across the street.
Instead of hopping on the RT here, I walked back to the Scarborough Town Centre. This time I had remembered my lottery ticket, so I cached it in. Then I went to Saint Cinnamon for a cinnamon bun.
I got on the RT. The cars are shorter and narrower than subway cars, but otherwise look much the same.
There has been much talk lately about the customer service provided by the TTC. This started about a month ago, when a guy took a picture of the TTC workers sleep on the job, and posted it on the Internet, where it went viral.
As I was leaving Paek stationed there was a customer yelling at the TTC guy in the ticket booth. He was ranting and raving, and threatening to take the guys picture. As far as I can tell the customer was in the wrong. He was trying to use a transfer were one wasn't allowed.
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2010 paul Stockton. All rights reserved.
Last updated: March 11, 2010