Some Toronto residents are feeling embarrassed about the city’s subway system following a post on social media comparing the TTC’s progress to China’s metro system.
On Monday, a Reddit user shared a photo comparing the development of Toronto and Chengdu’s subway system in China from 2010 to 2024. In the photo, Chengdu Metro has constructed multiple subway lines from having a completely non-existent subway system in 2010, whereas in Toronto, the city has added the Yonge North subway extension and is currently in the process of replacing the Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT) with the Scarborough Subway Extension (SSE).
According to Metrolinx, the next step towards extending the TTC’s Line 2 subway into Scarborough is removing the Progress Avenue bridge above McCowan Road near Scarborough Town Centre which was recently completed over the Labour Day long weekend. Once the SSE is completed, the project will be operated as an extension to the existing Line 2 subway.
Chengdu’s metro subway system opened in September 2010 and has 12 subway lines and one light rail line. The metro is known for completely transforming the development of Chengdu and is in the process of continuing to build more lines to this day, according to the Travel China Guide.
In response to the viral post, the city says it has recently taken on a new initiative that will expand the subway network.
“The City of Toronto recognizes that long-term prosperity and environmental sustainability depend on affordable, reliable and accessible transit and infrastructure that needs to be maintained and expanded to meet our growth,” a city spokesperson said in a statement to Now Toronto on Tuesday.
“This month the City and Province signed the Subway Program Agreement in Principle, which is a landmark agreement on a unified plan that will significantly expand the subway network,” it continued.
The city also notes that there are several transit expansion projects currently underway at varying phases of planning, design and construction. This includes the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, and Finch West Light Rail Transit, among others.
REACTIONS FROM TORONTONIANS
Online, some Torontonians are disappointed by the lack of progress made by the city in comparison to Chengdu’s Metro.
“In 14 years we lost a line. I’m laughing but that’s so embarrassing,” one Reddit user said.
“It’s utterly embarrassing and pathetic that this city just went 30 years without building anything. Our current metro and regional rail system barely f*****g works as is. It’s ride the rocket, but the rocket is falling apart and it isn’t Boeing that’s responsible for it. It’s just good old fashioned Canadian complacency,” another user said.
“…By any metric, Toronto’s 2 effective subway lines are insufficient for a city this size. They’re also chronically underfunded and infrastructure is lacking in many places, from station designs to poor reliability across tracks and trains,” another user commented.
Meanwhile, other users are defending the city’s current subway system by comparing the two country’s populations.
“I have a feeling their need for it might be more pressing than ours. If they had 10x the amount of traffic, I don’t think their streets would move at all,” one Reddit user said.
“You shouldn’t compare these types of maps without including GO and LRT,” another user said.
