It’s important that entry-level jobs exist for newcomers. “But on the other hand, [Scarborough] being a densely populated suburb, heavy regulation is required to make sure that the air we are breathing is not going to impact the wider community and the workers who work there,” Veerasingam said.

"The derailment of the Scarborough RT was shocking enough. The fact that the TTC was was warned in early 2023 about some contributing factors to the derailment is distressing and this is completely unacceptable and we need answers." - Krissan Veerasingam and TTC Riders calls for investigation by auditor general into circumstances surrounding Scarborough RTs derailment.

A Scarborough grassroots organization has created an interactive map of ethnic grocery stories in the area. The creators hope it can help more people access culturally-specific food — and that it will bring communities together.

"If you think of what ties a neighbourhood together, it's places where people go," says Veerasingam, who led a food tour last summer highlighting places to eat along the now-shuttered Scarborough RT line. "You’ll see familiar faces week after week in places where you build connections with other customers and the people who work there."

Residents and transit advocates see the lack of busway funding as the latest example of how the area has been neglected by politicians at city hall and Queen’s Park. Successive administrations have spent decades playing political ping-pong with the replacement for the aging RT — at one point it was going to be an LRT — ultimately leaving Scarborough residents today without rapid transit for years. “Sometimes it feels like the city views Scarborough residents’ time as less valuable," said Krissan Veerasingam, board member for transit advocacy group TTCriders.

Krissan Veerasingam, board member for transit advocacy group TTCriders said underinvestment in transit in Scarborough comes at a cost of "time being stolen from us." "I'm certain the price of beginning construction on the busway pales in comparison to the costs being borne by Scarborough residents," he said.

Radio Interview with Krissan Veerasingam on the future of the Scarborough RT and what its replacement should be.

Krissan Veerasingam notes that for more than 22,000 daily riders, the RT’s upcoming closure will mean a loss of critical access. “There’s a pretty big group of people who only rely on transit, like me — who primarily use the RT to get around,” he said. “And for those people, visiting these restaurants is a lot easier with the RT.”

"I think they're making the best of a bad situation, but they could make better of a bad situation and that's why I advocate for the rapid lanes, and of course the busway," said Krissan Veerasingam with TTC Riders. "We need to see these solutions like bus lanes and, more importantly, a busway because, of course, you can't fit 70 buses an hour realistically on a Scarborough street."

“If we want to expand ridership in Scarborough, we have to make the experience as pleasant as possible,” said Krissan Veerasingam, a Scarborough resident who is on the board of transit advocacy group TTCriders. “Seventy buses an hour is very hard to do in an efficient manner on a bus lane. You need a dedicated space that a busway would provide.”

"If we had the same drive to benefit people who are lower income, who rely on transit. We would make more of a difference for more people" - Krissan Veerasingam

“Government subsidizing of electric vehicles is good in the sense you’re getting more EVs out there, but in essence, you’re subsidizing wealthy people who can afford to buy a brand new, luxury car,” he said. “I think you’d see much more return climate change-wise if you took all that money and invested it in transit infrastructure.”

"Scarborough residents from Bendale to Golden Mile want to see more investment in TTC. Instead the city budget asks them to pay more for less service," said event organizer and TTCriders board member Krissan Veerasingam.

Fizza Khalid of the Scarborough Environmental Association said the only way to help the environment is through increasing housing density in cities, but she said she believes the Progressive Conservative government and developers want to build more suburban sprawl in Ontario’s Greenbelt instead. “I have a full-time job; I went to university. I can’t even afford a place to live,” Khalid said. “You expect me to move out to the Greenbelt.”