Majority
approve of new Scarborough transit plan
Even in Scarborough, subway/LRT plan is a winner
TORONTO March
23rd - In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the
Forum Poll™ among 908 Toronto voters, the majority, well more than half,
approve of the revised plan for the Scarborough subway, involving eliminating
two of three stops and using the money to build an LRT to Malvern Town Centre
(58%). Fewer than 3-in-10 disapprove (27%) and about one seventh have no
opinion (14%).
Approval of the revised plan is especially
common to lower income groups ($20K to $40K - 65%), in the downtown (64%),
among John Tory voters from the last mayoral election (72%) and among the best
educated (post grad - 65%). Even in Scarborough, the plan is as popular as it
is across the city (59%).
Downtown Relief Line seen as highest transit priority
The plurality of voters think the
Downtown Relief Line is the transit project which should be given the highest
priority and finished first (28%), and this is followed by the Eglinton
Crosstown (22%), and the Scarborough subway and Malvern LRT (17%). Seen as less
pressing is Smart Track (10%), or some other transit
project (10%). The DRL is seen as especially important by the youngest (35%),
the wealthiest ($80K+ - 36%), in the downtown (40%), among Olivia Chow voters
(43%) and the best educated (post grad - 33%).
“It
appears the very fact of a decision, any decision, on the much discussed
Scarborough subway, has had the effect of creating consensus where none existed
before. When we see Scarborough agreeing with the rest of the city on its
transit needs, an important milestone has been achieved. Meanwhile, the DRL is
still seen to be the most urgent transit priority we have, and that has been
the case for several years," said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne
Bozinoff.
Lorne
Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum Research. He can be
reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416)
960-9603.
