Cover Image: Scarborough Transit Protest [1]
Team Members
Malvern is one of the many Scarborough neighbourhoods that can be classified as a “transit desert” [2]. The Scarborough transit score map below (Figure 1) shows that the transit score in Malvern is 20.44 and is very inconsistent, due to the current bus routes not running often and being under-resourced, whereas the average in Toronto is 66.5 [3]. Furthermore, the headway of most regular service bus routes in Malvern is over 10 minutes, even during peak periods ****[4]. This can rise to as much as 30 minutes on weekends ****[4]. This infrequency leads to overcrowding on buses, and may result in potential riders being left behind at the discretion of bus drivers to safely accommodate all passengers ****[5].
It demonstrates the need for reduced travel times, improved access to jobs and schools, and quick and seamless transit. [6]. Even though 21% of Malvern's population is below the Market Basket Measure (MBM) [7], it is not considered a Neighbourhood Improvement Area (NIA) by the City of Toronto, and therefore does not benefit from funding and resources, including priority for projects [8,9].
Providing the adult population of Malvern, Toronto’s 9th poorest neighbourhood [9], with improved transit that is rapid, clean, reliable, sustainable, and affordable, is crucial in the continuous environmental development of communities, and for providing access to jobs, education, and hospitals.
Implementing a solution to this problem should contribute towards two of the major 17 UN SDGs: (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, by improving public transportation in Malvern, and (13) Climate Action, by implementing an environmentally sustainable solution [10].
The stakeholders directly impacted by this problem are the residents of Malvern over the age of 18, including seniors. Other stakeholders connected to this problem are the TTC, the City of Toronto, the Ministry of Transportation Ontario, and Metrolinx, which are essential to provide a viable solution to this problem as they govern transportation in Malvern [11].
Figure 1: Scarborough Transit Scores [6]
Our proposed solution is to replace the 27 buses currently used on regular service public bus routes in Malvern with hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)[4]. Additionally, we propose to increase the frequency of certain routes by adding more buses, as well as introduce a 48% discounted fare for people living below the MBM. To determine which routes have the need for greater frequency, we plan to use data collected by the TTC via PRESTO cards.