That has always been the driving force, though. It was transit-oriented development on a budget. It's done wonderful things for the region and the best thing we've ever managed to do, but yeah it was always an investment tool first, rapid transit second. If the main goal was to become an efficient, long term rapid transit system that could grow and evolve over the next century we would have engineered it as such and it would have been more comparable to a light metro system, such as was done in Edmonton, Stuttgart, Ottawa, Tyne and Wear and so on. Since the goal was more to act as a catalyst for economic development, the way we designed and constructed it made sense. The system was handicapped the moment they broke ground.
Just ask property developers how much money they've made. :'P
Just ask property developers how much money they've made. :'P