Trainspotting
Story by Susan Scott & Michael Todd
Photo By Corey Mihailiuk

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Will York be the Spadina line's next stop?

                      JODY RIGGS was used to commuting even before he came to York. Riggs, now a student in kinesiology and arts who lives in Aurora, would take a bus - no, make that buses - to his Christian high school in Woodbridge, Ontario. It was a long arduous trip usually lasting 2-3 hours. By comparison, these days his 1-2 hour trip (one way) to York is heaven.

Well, maybe not heaven, but it's still better than the hell of his former commute. "In high school I'd be on the bus knowing my friends [who went to school locally] were home relaxing. I bascially spent almost 6 hours commuting every day."

Part of the problem, of course, is the problem of every student who doesn't own a car and lives in the GTA's suburban sprawl. Rapid transit, unless it's of the four wheel variety, simply doesn't exist. Students are forever calling friends and arranging insanely complex carpool and ride schedules, whether it's getting to a club on Friday night or to school during the week. "It makes for some pretty crazy scheduling sometimes," notes Riggs. "But all my friends are in the same boat, so we're aware of who need rides and when, so if anyone's got their parents' car they give lifts to anyone who needs them."

Would Riggs welcome something like a subway line running through York up to the 407/400 interchange? "Certainly. Although it wouldn't make a huge difference to me living where I do unless there were some kind of GO bus express system or GO train that could connect us up to the subway. But if that happened, yes, it would probably cut commuting time in half.

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