Editing Line 3 Scarborough (section)

==Future==
<!--Essentially, this paragraph is an index to the sub-sections that follow.-->
After studying the [[#Revitalization and expansion|revitalization and expansion]] of Line 3 in 2006, its [[#Replacement with alternate transit|replacement with alternate transit]] (light rail versus subway) became a subject of debate in the late 2000s. {{as of|2019|04}}, there are plans to replace Line 3 with the three-stop [[Scarborough Subway Extension]] of Line 2 from Kennedy station to [[Sheppard Avenue]], with intermediate stops at [[Lawrence Avenue]] and [[Scarborough Town Centre]]. With an estimated completion between 2029 and 2030, the extension would follow a different route than Line 3. The Government of Ontario has committed to fully fund its $5.5-billion cost.<ref name="TheStar-2019-04-10" /><ref name="ON-2019-04" /> In February 2021, the TTC recommended closing Line 3 permanently by 2023 and replacing it with bus service until the Line 2 extension opens.<ref name="TheStar-2021-02-04" /> Once Line 3 is closed, portions of its right-of-way could be [[#Conversion to park|converted into parkland]].

===Revitalization and expansion<span id="Proposed expansion"></span>===
{{Line 3 Extension}}
In 2006, a study was completed on the prospects of the Scarborough line.<ref name="2006SRT">{{cite web |url=http://www3.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2006/Aug_30_2006/Other/Scarborough_Rt_Strat.pdf |title=Scarborough RT Strategic Plan |access-date=March 9, 2012 |date=August 30, 2006 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120731/http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2006/Aug_30_2006/Other/Scarborough_Rt_Strat.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="2006Strategic">{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/scarborough_rt_strategic_plan_study_report.pdf |access-date=August 5, 2013 |date=August 2006 |title=Scarborough RT Strategic Plan – Study Report – Final Report – August 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625121344/http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/scarborough_rt_strategic_plan_study_report.pdf |archive-date=June 25, 2008}}</ref> It recommended upgrading the line to handle larger Innovia Metro Mark II vehicles, at a cost of $190{{nbsp}}million (in 2006 dollars) with an eight-month service suspension for the upgrade and to purchase $170{{nbsp}}million of new rolling stock.<ref name="TTC-2006-09-20" /> Rebuilding the curve in the tunnel north of Ellesmere station would have been required to accommodate Mark II cars. (According to transit advocate [[Steve Munro]], the need to rebuild the tunnel was discovered after the $190{{nbsp}}million upgrade estimate was made.<ref name="G&M-2017-03-17">{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/what-went-wrong-since-the-golden-age-of-toronto-transit/article34321708/ |title=What has gone wrong since the 'golden age' of Toronto transit |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |first=Oliver |last=Moore |date=March 17, 2017 |access-date=April 24, 2017 |quote=Dr. Richard Soberman, former chair of civil engineering at the University of Toronto, would simply buy new rolling stock for the SRT and rebuild a bend to accommodate new vehicles. |archive-date=April 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422123418/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/what-went-wrong-since-the-golden-age-of-toronto-transit/article34321708/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="SteveMunro-2017-03-01">{{cite web |url=https://stevemunro.ca/2017/03/01/scarborough-subway-cost-rises-again/ |title=Scarborough Subway Cost Rises Again |last=Munro |first=Steve |author-link=Steve Munro |date=March 1, 2017 |access-date=April 24, 2017 |quote=At the time [the report] was written, the cost estimate was $360{{nbsp}}million. ... At this point it was assumed that the larger Mark II Skytrain cars would fit through the Ellesmere tunnel, but this was optimistic. |archive-date=April 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406022719/https://stevemunro.ca/2017/03/01/scarborough-subway-cost-rises-again/ |url-status=live}}</ref>) The TTC Board approved the recommended plan for the upgrades on August 30, 2006,<ref name="TTC-2006-09-20">{{cite web |url=http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2006/Sept_20_2006/Minutes/index.jsp |title=Minutes of the Previous Meeting – Board Meeting Minutes – Meeting No. 1873 – Wednesday, August 30, 2006 |access-date=December 1, 2015 |date=September 20, 2006 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208082823/http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2006/Sept_20_2006/Minutes/index.jsp |url-status=live}}</ref> but later cancelled the plans.<ref name="TheStar-2015-11-15" /> Extending Line 2 Bloor–Danforth, either along the current route or along a different alignment directly to Scarborough Centre station, was not considered cost-effective or justifiable.

In November 2015, transportation consultant and [[University of Toronto]] professor emeritus Richard Soberman argued that it would be vastly cheaper and faster to buy new Line 3 vehicles than to replace Line 3 with an extension of [[Line 2 Bloor–Danforth|Line 2]] northeast from Kennedy station. He felt the cost savings would be great enough to overcome difficulties such as the incompatibility of Mark II cars with the existing line geometry and the extra cost of building a fully separated right-of-way to Sheppard Avenue, where Line 3 could connect with either a proposed [[Line 4 Sheppard#Eastward extension|extension of Line 4 Sheppard]] or the [[Sheppard East LRT]].<ref name="TheStar-2015-11-15">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2015/11/15/skip-the-scarborough-subway-and-modernize-the-srt-says-transit-expert.html |title=Skip the Scarborough subway and modernize the SRT, says transit expert |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Tess |last=Kalinowski |date=November 15, 2015 |access-date=November 20, 2015 |archive-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118224540/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2015/11/15/skip-the-scarborough-subway-and-modernize-the-srt-says-transit-expert.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Replacement with alternate transit<!--Note: Changing the section name will break section links from other articles.-->===
{{See also|Line 2 Bloor–Danforth#Scarborough Subway Extension}}
[[File:Toronto Line 3 new Line 2 Extension comparison.svg|left|thumb|Superimposed former Line 3 (grey) and the under-construction Line 2 Bloor–Danforth extension (dark green)]]
The TTC and the City of Toronto completed an [[Environmental impact assessment|environmental assessment]] in 2010 to convert the line to [[light rail|light rail transit]] and extend it to [[Malvern, Toronto|Malvern]] from its current eastern terminus, McCowan, with potential new intermediate stations at Bellamy Road, [[Centennial College (Canada)|Centennial College]]'s Progress Campus and Sheppard Avenue with a possible additional station at [[Brimley Road]] between the existing [[Midland station (Toronto)|Midland]] and Scarborough Centre stations.<ref name="SRT EA">{{cite web |url=http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/scarborough_rapid_transit/index.htm |title=Extension of the Scarborough Rapid Transit & Kennedy Station Improvements |publisher=City of Toronto |date=May 29, 2012 |access-date=March 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006162230/http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/scarborough_rapid_transit/index.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2012}}</ref>

After initially planning to include the line with the proposed [[Line 5 Eglinton|Eglinton Crosstown LRT line]] and create a single line called the "Eglinton–Scarborough Crosstown line", [[Metrolinx]] proceeded with plans to convert the line to light rail and extend it to Sheppard Avenue with a single new intermediate station at Centennial College. The existing line would have closed after the [[2015 Pan American Games]] and be completed in 2020. In January 2013, [[Ministry of Infrastructure (Ontario)|Infrastructure Ontario]] issued a [[Request for proposal#Other requests|request for qualifications]] to shortlist companies to construct both this line and the Eglinton Crosstown line.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infrastructureontario.ca/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147489840 |title=Request for Qualifications Issued for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and Scarborough LRT Lines |date=January 22, 2013 |access-date=March 10, 2013 |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005015642/http://www.infrastructureontario.ca/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147489840 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Eglinton Crosstown line was later renamed Line 5 Eglinton and officially given the colour of orange.

In June 2013, [[Toronto City Council]] again debated having the Scarborough line replaced with an extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth north to Sheppard Avenue along a different right of way. Metrolinx issued a letter to Toronto City Council indicating it would cease work on the Scarborough portion of the line, because its position strayed from the original LRT agreement.<ref name="GlobeAndMail2013-07-02a">{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/metrolinx-to-toronto-subway-is-yours/article12942512/ |title=Metrolinx to Toronto: Subway is yours |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |first=Oliver |last=Moore |date=July 2, 2013 |access-date=July 3, 2013 |archive-date=July 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707014128/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/metrolinx-to-toronto-subway-is-yours/article12942512/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The subway alternative would cost between $500{{nbsp}}million and $1{{nbsp}}billion more than converting the Scarborough line to use the same rolling stock as the Eglinton Crosstown line be so it could be a continuation of that line. ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' reported that Scarborough councillors had argued that providing Scarborough residents with light rail, not heavy rail, treated them as "second-class citizens".

Two competing subway plans were proposed to replace Line 3. TTC chair [[Karen Stintz]] proposed extending Line 2 Bloor–Danforth to the east before turning north, with three new stations at Lawrence Avenue and McCowan Road (primarily to serve the [[Scarborough Health Network|Scarborough Hospital's]] [[Scarborough General Hospital (Toronto)|General Campus]]), at Scarborough Town Centre and then at Sheppard Avenue East and McCowan Road, where it would connect to the Sheppard East LRT. Transportation Minister [[Glen Murray (politician)|Glen Murray]] made an alternative proposal to extend Line 2 along the Line 3 route but have it terminate at Scarborough Town Centre. Under the Murray plan, there would be only two stations and there would be no direct connection with the then-proposed Sheppard East LRT. The Murray plan would have required the relocation of Kennedy station as a new northbound curve from the existing Kennedy station would have been too tight for subway trains. It would also have required the complete shutdown of the line during construction, something that the Stintz plan avoided.<ref name="Subway deal">{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/scarborough-subway-will-be-built-with-shortened-route-ontario-to-announce/article14104101/ |title=Scarborough subway to be built with shortened route, Ontario announces |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=September 4, 2013 |access-date=September 4, 2013 |archive-date=September 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904162515/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/scarborough-subway-will-be-built-with-shortened-route-ontario-to-announce/article14104101/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 8, 2013, Toronto City Council voted 24–20 to replace the Scarborough line with a three-station extension of the Bloor–Danforth subway line. Council chose the Stintz plan for the extension.<ref name="Star20131008">{{cite web |title=Scarborough subway confirmed by Toronto council |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/10/08/scarborough_subway_confirmed_by_toronto_council.print.html |work=Toronto Star |date=October 8, 2013 |access-date=October 8, 2013 |archive-date=August 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812222011/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/10/08/scarborough_subway_confirmed_by_toronto_council.print.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2013, the rejected LRT proposal would have provided a {{Convert|9.9|km|adj=on}} line with seven stops serving 47,000 residents within walking distance. The selected 3-stop subway extension would be {{convert|7.6|km}} long, serving 14,000–20,000 residents within walking distance. In 2013, the LRT was estimated to cost $1.48 billion to build versus $3.56 billion for the Line 2 extension;<ref name="TheStar-2015-08-07">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2015/08/07/scarborough-subway-debate-suffers-from-lack-of-facts-community-groups-say.html |title=Scarborough subway debate suffers from lack of facts, community groups say |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Jennifer |last=Pagliaro |date=August 7, 2015 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=November 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121075836/http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2015/08/07/scarborough-subway-debate-suffers-from-lack-of-facts-community-groups-say.html |url-status=live}}</ref> both estimates would subsequently increase.<ref name="TheStar-2016-07-13">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/07/13/city-council-debates-scarborough-subway-extension.html |title=Toronto city council sticks with subway, rejects Scarborough LRT |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Jennifer |last=Pagliaro |date=July 13, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2016 |archive-date=July 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713205609/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/07/13/city-council-debates-scarborough-subway-extension.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Converting Line 3 to light rail would require the complete shutdown of the line while extending Line 2 could occur without requiring a Line 3 shutdown. Circa 2013, this was promoted as a major benefit of the Line 2 extension over a conversion to light rail. At the time, the TTC estimated it could keep Line 3 operating until 2026; however, in February 2021, the TTC recommended replacing Line 3 with buses, thus eliminating that benefit.<ref name="TheStar-2021-02-04" /> A remaining benefit of the subway option is that it would eliminate the need to change trains at Kennedy station.<ref name="TheStar-2015-08-07" />

In June 2016, city planning staff proposed the elimination of two of the three stops along the planned Scarborough Subway Extension, which would have seen Line 2 Bloor–Danforth terminate at Scarborough Town Centre in order to free up funding for a proposed [[Line 5 Eglinton#Eglinton East LRT|Crosstown East LRT line]] extension of Line 5 Eglinton. The eliminated intermediate stops were at Lawrence Avenue and Sheppard Avenue.<ref name="TheStar-2016-01-20">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2016/01/20/revised-scarborough-subway-plan-eliminates-2-stations.html |title=New Scarborough transit plan 'buys peace in the land' |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Jennifer |last=Pagliaro |date=January 20, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2016 |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120192953/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2016/01/20/revised-scarborough-subway-plan-eliminates-2-stations.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequently, the cost estimate for the one-stop subway extension increased to $3.2{{nbsp}}billion, leaving the Crosstown East LRT unfunded. Given the rising cost for the subway extension and the loss of funding for the LRT line, a group of city councillors led by [[Josh Matlow]] reopened the subway versus LRT debate. Matlow proposed scrapping the one-stop subway extension in order to provide funding for 24 LRT stops on two LRT lines within Scarborough. TTC CEO [[Andy Byford]] said the cost of the LRT line following the Line 3 route may have risen to as high as $3{{nbsp}}billion because of "delays and redesign" since 2013,<ref name="TheStar-2016-06-28">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/06/28/scarborough-subway-versus-lrt-debate-to-return-to-council-amid-transit-confusion.html |title=Scarborough subway versus LRT debate to return to council amid transit confusion |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Jennifer |last=Pagliaro |date=June 28, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2016 |archive-date=June 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629210939/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/06/28/scarborough-subway-versus-lrt-debate-to-return-to-council-amid-transit-confusion.html |url-status=live}}</ref> but Brad Ross, also of the TTC, warned of "caveats around numbers and assumptions" associated with that estimate.<ref name="TheStar-2016-10-24" /> After Council's vote, Byford admitted that the cost estimates for "delays" was unnecessary,<ref name="TheStar-2016-10-24b">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/10/24/watchdog-says-city-staff-may-have-violated-public-service-code-over-scarborough-subway-advice.html |title=Watchdog says city staff may have violated public service code over Scarborough subway advice |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Jennifer |last=Pagliaro |date=October 25, 2016 |access-date=October 24, 2016 |archive-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026162711/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/10/24/watchdog-says-city-staff-may-have-violated-public-service-code-over-scarborough-subway-advice.html |url-status=live}}</ref> which assumed the LRT's completion would be in 2026, the same date as the subway option. However, according to Michael Warren, a former TTC chief general manager, the LRT could have been completed in 2020 at a cost of $1.8{{nbsp}}billion, an estimate not presented to City Council when it voted.<ref name="TheStar-2016-10-26">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/10/26/was-the-memo-that-killed-the-lrt-deliberately-misleading.html |title=Was the memo that killed the LRT deliberately misleading? |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=R. Michael |last=Warren |date=October 26, 2016 |access-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-date=October 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027060121/https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/10/26/was-the-memo-that-killed-the-lrt-deliberately-misleading.html |url-status=live}}</ref> There was also the issue of whether there would be space for both expanded GO service and an LRT north of Kennedy station; however, Metrolinx subsequently denied there would be such a problem.<ref name="TheStar-2016-10-24">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/10/24/how-a-bid-to-resurrect-scarborough-lrt-was-killed-analysis.html |title=How a bid to resurrect Scarborough LRT was killed: Analysis |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Jennifer |last=Pagliaro |date=October 24, 2016 |access-date=October 24, 2016 |archive-date=October 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024130418/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/10/24/how-a-bid-to-resurrect-scarborough-lrt-was-killed-analysis.html |url-status=live}}</ref> On July 13, Toronto City Council voted down Matlow's proposal by a margin of roughly 2 to 1.<ref name="G&M-2016-07-13">{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-city-council-shows-support-for-scarborough-subway-expansion/article30910103/ |title=Toronto City Council approves planning for raft of transit projects |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |last1=Moore |first1=Oliver |date=July 13, 2016 |access-date=July 14, 2016 |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404124448/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-city-council-shows-support-for-scarborough-subway-expansion/article30910103/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Councillor [[Glenn De Baeremaeker]] justified the subway extension saying "Scarborough residents need the same access to a subway system that everybody else already has."<ref name="TheStar-2016-06-01">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/06/01/shrunken-scarborough-subway-ridership-projections-a-huge-concern.html |title=Mayor Tory defends Scarborough subway extension despite new ridership data |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first1=Ben |last1=Spurr |first2=Jennifer |last2=Pagliaro |date=June 1, 2016 |access-date=June 1, 2016 |archive-date=June 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601173037/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/06/01/shrunken-scarborough-subway-ridership-projections-a-huge-concern.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Mayor Tory was concerned that switching from subway to LRT would delay transit improvements in Scarborough, and might not get support from senior levels of government.<ref name="TheStar-2016-06-27">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/06/27/why-i-support-the-scarborough-subway-john-tory.html |title=Why I support the Scarborough subway: John Tory |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=John |last=Tory |date=June 27, 2016 |access-date=June 27, 2016 |archive-date=June 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628132935/https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/06/27/why-i-support-the-scarborough-subway-john-tory.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2013, Metrolinx prepared a draft report comparing the subway and LRT options concluding that the subway option was "not a worthwhile use of money." Metrolinx had declined a TTC request to give an opinion prior to City Council's July 2016 vote.<ref name="TheStar-2016-10-24" />

In 2017, the estimated cost of the one-stop Line 2 extension was $3.35{{Nbsp}}billion, which increased to $3.9{{Nbsp}}billion by April 2019.<ref name="TheStar-2019-04-03">{{cite news|last=Pagliaro|first=Jennifer|date=April 3, 2019|title=Toronto's major transit projects–where they're at and what Doug Ford might do to them|newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2019/04/03/torontos-major-transit-projects-where-theyre-at-and-what-doug-ford-might-do-to-them.html|access-date=February 6, 2021|archive-date=November 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121080915/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2019/04/03/torontos-major-transit-projects-where-theyre-at-and-what-doug-ford-might-do-to-them.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 10, 2019, Premier Doug Ford announced that the province would revert the extension back to the three-stop proposal at an estimated cost of $5.5{{nbsp}}billion with an estimated completion date between 2029 and 2030.<ref name="TheStar-2019-04-10">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2019/04/10/doug-ford-vows-3-stop-scarborough-subway-the-timeline-could-leave-riders-on-buses-for-years.html |title=Doug Ford vows 3-stop Scarborough subway. The timeline could leave riders on buses for years |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Jennifer |last=Pagliaro |date=April 10, 2019 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |archive-date=December 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221033431/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2019/04/10/doug-ford-vows-3-stop-scarborough-subway-the-timeline-could-leave-riders-on-buses-for-years.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Line 2 would also receive new subway trains as part of the extension to replace the existing T1-series trains.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toronto Transit Commission - Request for Proposals For New Subway Trains |url=https://ttc.bonfirehub.ca/opportunities/55969 |access-date=November 12, 2022 |website=ttc.bonfirehub.ca |archive-date=October 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023003428/https://ttc.bonfirehub.ca/opportunities/55969 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Murno |date=October 20, 2022 |title=TTC Issues RFP For New Subway Trains |url=https://stevemunro.ca/2022/10/20/ttc-issues-rfp-for-new-subway-trains/ |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=Steve Munro |language=en |archive-date=November 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105013324/https://stevemunro.ca/2022/10/20/ttc-issues-rfp-for-new-subway-trains/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Replacement bus service ===
On April 10, 2019, Ontario premier [[Doug Ford]] announced that Line 3 Scarborough would be replaced by a three-stop extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth to be completed by 2030.<ref name="TheStar-2019-04-10"/><ref name="ON-2019-04">{{Cite web|url=https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2019/04/premier-ford-unveils-transportation-vision.html|title=Premier Ford Unveils Transportation Vision|website=news.ontario.ca|language=en|access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-date=April 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410213847/https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2019/04/premier-ford-unveils-transportation-vision.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, on December 10, 2020, Toronto mayor [[John Tory]] stated that Line 3 was likely to fail and be taken out of service before the Scarborough Subway Extension was completed, with the failure possibly happening several years before completion.<ref name="RTfail">{{cite news|last1=Pagliaro|first1=Jennifer|date=December 10, 2020|title=Scarborough RT will shut down before subway is finished, mayor says|newspaper=Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2020/12/10/scarborough-rt-will-shut-down-before-subway-is-finished-mayor-says.html|access-date=December 10, 2020|archive-date=December 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210155912/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2020/12/10/scarborough-rt-will-shut-down-before-subway-is-finished-mayor-says.html|url-status=live}}</ref> At that point, the Line 3 vehicles were 35 years old, a decade past their 25-year life expectancy, and had become unreliable and difficult to maintain, leading to reduced service and frequent service interruptions. The TTC was looking into an alternative solution of replacing Line 3 with bus service.<ref name="TTC-2020-10-22">{{cite web|date=October 22, 2020|title=Chief Executive Officer's Report – October 2020 Update|url=http://ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2020/October_22/Reports/1_Chief_Executive_Officer_Report_October_2020_Update.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018020617/http://ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commission_meetings/2020/October_22/Reports/1_Chief_Executive_Officer_Report_October_2020_Update.pdf|archive-date=October 18, 2020|access-date=October 17, 2020|publisher=[[Toronto Transit Commission]]|pages=10–11}}</ref>

In February 2021, the TTC recommended shutting down Line 3 permanently in 2023 and replacing it with bus service. The TTC rejected doing a third overhaul of the line because it would cost $522.4{{Nbsp}}million and might not improve its reliability. The TTC offered two bus replacement options: purchase 60 hybrid buses by 2023 for $374.8{{Nbsp}}million or reduce the number of spares for maintenance, deferring the purchase of new buses until 2027 to 2030, at a cost of $357.4{{Nbsp}}million.<ref name="TheStar-2021-02-04" />

In April 2022, the TTC recommended that the Line 3 right-of-way between Kennedy and Ellesmere stations be converted into a {{convert|4|km|adj=on}} dedicated busway after the Line 3 closure. There would be stops along the right-of-way at Mooregate Avenue / Tara Avenue (approximately halfway between Eglinton Avenue and Lawrence Avenue), Lawrence Avenue East and Ellesmere Road. Between the proposed Ellesmere stop and Scarborough Centre station, buses would operate along Ellesmere Road and Brimley Road. Midland and McCowan stations, along with the connecting guideway, would be permanently shut down as they were deemed not usable for a busway. The busway would operate until the opening of the Line 2 Scarborough subway extension, after which its disposition was not known.<ref name="TTC-SRT-Future" />

By August 2023, newly elected mayor [[Olivia Chow]] had promised to build the busway, which was estimated to cost $55{{Nbsp}}million. The project is estimated to take two years to complete.<ref name="TheStar-2023-08-28">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc-ends-scarborough-rt-service-permanently/article_1a402fc5-26b7-56d5-b564-128240e747c0.html |title=Shuttering of Scarborough RT means the end of a transit system that changed the city |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=August 28, 2023}}</ref>

By the fourth quarter of 2023, the TTC planned to set up dedicated bus lanes via Kennedy Road (northbound) and Midland Avenue (southbound) to run buses express between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations. Bus lanes would be painted red and transit signal priority would be implemented.<ref name="TTC-SRT-Future" /> An additional $60{{Nbsp}}million would be required to modify the bus platforms at Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations.<ref name="TheStar-2022/04/07">{{cite news |last=Spurr |first=Ben |date=April 7, 2022 |title=Scarborough RT may find new life as a multimillion-dollar dedicated bus lane |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/04/07/scarborough-rt-may-find-new-life-as-a-multimillion-dollar-dedicated-bus-lane.html |access-date=April 8, 2022 |archive-date=April 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408011611/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/04/07/scarborough-rt-may-find-new-life-as-a-multimillion-dollar-dedicated-bus-lane.html |url-status=live}}</ref> With the dedicated lanes, a trip between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations would take 17 to 22 minutes versus 15 minutes using the future busway. The duration of the same trip on Line 3 was 10 minutes.<ref name="TTC-bus-replacement" />

Work on the dedicated bus lanes was expected to be completed by November 19, 2023, when Line 3 had been scheduled to shut down. However, due to the derailment of a Line 3 train on July 24, 2023, the TTC decided to end Line 3 service three months earlier. The dedicated bus lanes began service on August 26, 2023, without the bus lane work having been fully completed. Up to 70 buses per hour will use the dedicated lanes.<ref name="TTC-SRT-Future" />

By January 2024, the estimated cost of converting the Line 3 right-of-way into a bus roadway had increased by $12{{Nbsp}}million to $67.9{{Nbsp}}million. Planning was 60 percent complete. If approved by city council, work would start in 2025 for completion in 2027.<ref name="TheStar-2024-01-22">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/scarborough-busway-may-not-be-completed-until-at-least-2027/article_835f81dc-b947-11ee-b73c-cb1259add6af.html |title=Scarborough busway may not be completed until at least 2027 |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=January 22, 2024}}</ref>

The TTC is implementing bus replacement service in phases as follows:<ref name="TTC-bus-replacement">{{cite web |url=https://ttc-cdn.azureedge.net/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2023/Sep-26/4_Presentation_Line_3.pdf |title=Derailment Incident Overview and Operational Improvements for Bus Replacement Service |publisher=[[Toronto Transit Commission]] |date=September 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930012412/https://ttc-cdn.azureedge.net/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2023/Sep-26/4_Presentation_Line_3.pdf | archive-date=September 30, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Four phases of Line 3 Scarborough bus replacement service
!  Effective !! Route between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations<ref name="TTC-bus-replacement" />{{rp|4}} !! Travel time in minutes<ref name="TTC-bus-replacement" />{{rp|19}}
|-
| July 24, 2023, to August 25, 2023
| The emergency Line 3 subway shuttle operated in mixed traffic via Midland Avenue, Progress Avenue, Brimley Road and Triton Road.
| 20–30<ref name="TheStar-2023-07-26">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/scarborough-rt-derailment-raises-questions-about-state-of-repair-on-ttc/article_96226692-fb9c-5afa-ad51-3c84598fe099.html |title=Scarborough RT derailment raises questions about state of repair on TTC |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=July 26, 2023}}</ref><!-- 10-20 minutes extra as per article over the 10-minute run time of SRT as per TTC pdf -->
|-
| August 26, 2023, to November 18, 2023
| Route 903 Scarborough Centre Express operates in temporarily marked reserved lanes via Kennedy Road (northbound), Midland Avenue (southbound), Progress Avenue, Brimley Road and Triton Road.
| 18–25 
|-
| November 19, 2023, until 2027
| Eight TTC bus routes will be extended from Scarborough Centre to Kennedy station, saving their riders three minutes in transfer time. With the full implementation of transit priority measures, buses will run via Kennedy Road (northbound), Midland Avenue (southbound), Ellesmere, Brimley and Triton Roads.
| 17–22
|-
| 2027–2030<ref name="TheStar-2024-01-22" />
| A busway will be constructed in the Line 3 right-of-way between Kennedy and Ellesmere stations. From the busway, buses will continue via Ellesmere, Brimley and Triton Roads.
| 15
|}

===Reuse of infrastructure===
One of the TTC's redevelopment proposals for the Line 3 lands was to convert the corridor, including the elevated section between Midland and McCowan stations, into a [[linear park]]. This proposed park would be similar to the [[High Line]] in the New York City borough of [[Manhattan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://torontosun.com/2015/02/20/ttc-looking-at-making-a-park-out-scarborough-rt/wcm/46a315c4-5fcd-4a27-8df5-373d997ff4a2|title=TTC looking at making a park out of Scarborough RT|date=February 21, 2015|newspaper=Toronto Sun|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116100214/https://torontosun.com/2015/02/20/ttc-looking-at-making-a-park-out-scarborough-rt/wcm/46a315c4-5fcd-4a27-8df5-373d997ff4a2|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2024, it was announced that a {{convert|4|km|adj=on}} stretch of the former Line 3 right-of-way, between Kennedy station and the closed Ellesmere station, would be converted into the "[[Toronto Transit Commission bus system#Line 3 Busway|Line 3 Busway]]". Demolition of original track has started in 2024,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/11/04/line-3-scarborough-rt-construction-ttc/|title=Demolition of former TTC Line 3 Scarborough RT underway|date=November 4, 2024|newspaper=Citynews}}</ref> and construction was expected to start in 2025, with the busway planned to begin operation in 2027. The busway was planned to remain in service after the Scarborough Subway Extension opened in order to provide extra rapid transit.<ref name="TO-2024-05-21">{{cite web |url=https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9712-EELRTTRPAP-Public-Consultation-MaterialsFinalAOADA-compressed21May2024.pdf |title=Eglinton East Light Rail Transit{{snd}}Public Consultation for the Transit and Rail{{snd}}Project Assessment Process |publisher=[[Municipal government of Toronto|City of Toronto]] |access-date=May 29, 2024 |page=13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530001415/https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9712-EELRTTRPAP-Public-Consultation-MaterialsFinalAOADA-compressed21May2024.pdf | archive-date=May 30, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>