What would a Saskatoon subway system look like?

It’s probably going to be a very, very long time before Saskatoon gets a subway, a metro, a light rail or a sky train.

Back when I was living in Montreal I used to stare endlessly at the metro map. It was half familiarization and half awe – convenience and kitsch (if you’ve ever seen the hilariously retro-looking stations you’ll know) all rolled into one.

I always secretly wondered what a similar transit system would like in Saskatoon.

That said, maybe we should all start thinking about what the future of our city’s transit system is going to look like down the line. Sure, a subway might be wildly impractical, but if you’re going to dream then dream big.

Here’s an idea of what a hypothetical conception of Saskatoon’s subway system could look like, via Ominocity’s crack team of illustrators. The idea of stretching out to the suburbs is to have main stations where commuters could park before embarking elsewhere to the city. Otherwise, we chose to put stops at the usual hotspots, including hospitals, parks, the university and downtown.

Saskatoon-metro-black
Saskatoon-metro-city

Is the Saskatoon subway system all a pipe dream? Or is it something to eventually consider 20 or 30 years from now? Either way, such a project would likely take decades to construct… or never. Which might be a good thing, especially considering how drastic the city could change before 2050.

Or is the whole idea completely useless considering that driverless cars are poised to roll into the market in the not-so-distant future? Or, especially within an urban centre, does a transit system already achieve something like this – people not controlling the specifics but being led to the places they need to go?

What do you think? Is a Saskatoon subway system science fiction or fact?