Article content

From the top of the pedestrian ramp that coils and then stretches over the train tracks behind Gerrard Square in Riverdale, the jagged edge of the downtown skyline looks deceivingly close.

To the south, developers plan a housing and shopping hub; to the north are tightly packed century homes, where real estate bargains are increasingly like searching for gems in sand. There’s a streetcar or three that trundles along Gerrard, buses that feed Pape Station, and the occasional roar of a GO or VIA train flying to Union Station.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or The dust from the election is settled. Now John Tory moves to make SmartTrack actually happen Back to video

If mayor-elect John Tory has his way, the trains will start stopping here, too.

A Gerrard stop is part of his SmartTrack plan — his campaign’s key promise, and likely the winning issue for voters weary of being packed like unhappy sardines into buses, subway trains and streetcars.

Mr. Tory has not yet been sworn in, but he is giving every indication he’s determined to make SmartTrack happen, and so far some key stakeholders seem supportive. If that holds, after the messy battles over various incarnations of Scarborough rapid transit, it could be a miracle.