TORONTO – The Downtown Relief Line (DRL) is Toronto’s top transit priority despite nearly half of residents approving of Mayor John Tory’s SmartTrack plan, according to a new poll.
The survey conducted by Forum Research among 807 respondents reveals the DRL is the city’s most urgent priority at 29 per cent, followed by the Scarborough Subway at 19 per cent, the Eglinton Crosstown at 12 per cent and SmartTrack at 11 per cent.
Fewer prioritize the Union-Pearson Express (8 per cent) or the Finch LRT (5 per cent).
Geographically, those polled in downtown Toronto say the DRL is the city’s highest transit priority at 43 per cent.
Meanwhile, 47 per cent of residents in Scarborough say the subway extension is on top of their list.
Mayor Tory’s SmartTrack has a 44 per cent approval rating compared to 31 per cent who disapprove.
Approval is highest downtown (49 per cent) and East York (56 per cent), however fewer than a quarter (23 per cent) think the rail line will benefit them personally while 59 per cent think it will not at all.
“Despite the fact that the Mayor’s signature SmartTrack plan has the approval of most, the citizens of Toronto still see a downtown relief line for the junction of the Yonge and Bloor lines as the most urgent transit need in the city,” said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, in a media release.
The poll also asked respondents on their thoughts of the St. Clair streetcar route with more than one half (51 per cent) who have travelled on St. Clair Avenue West in the past year saying the traffic moves very well.
The Forum Research poll was conducted on Feb. 20 and 21 based on an interactive voice response telephone survey with a margin of error of +/- 3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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