Transit riders eyeing a September opening for the long delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT may have to wait a bit longer after the TTC indicated the chances of it opening then are slim.
At the TTC board meeting on Thursday, Toronto—St. Paul’s Councillor Josh Matlow asked former TTC interim CEO Greg Percy whether or not transit riders can expect a September opening.
“I think September’s a reach, but this fall is plausible and certainly by year end,” Percy said.
Percy added that the opening date is still Metrolinx’s decision, and there is still “lots going on” that needs to be fixed to open safely.
“We’re still looking at this fall to get something happening,” he assured. “We are collaborating with the same priorities of safety and customer service, and no we won’t open until it is satisfying both.”
Construction of the line started in 2011 and was initially supposed to open in 2020. Former Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster previously said that a three-month notice would be given to the public before the opening of the line.
However, a notice was not given in June of this year, which made September an unlikely opening date. If a notice is not given by the end of July, an October opening date may also be unlikely.
Now Toronto reached out to Metrolinx about whether or not the public will still be given this notice but instead was directed to review the comments made by Percy last month.
Read More
Percy’s update comes nearly a month after Metrolinx officially handed the line over to the TTC for testing.
In June, Metrolinx CEO Micahel Lindsay said the line was undergoing “relentless” stress training, and that all training for TTC drivers was complete.
Since Lindsay’s announcement, all movement of trains have been governed by the TTC, and if everything goes according to plan then a September opening date could be met.
Lindsay said the line would undergo a trial run for a period of 14 days followed by a 30-day revenue service demonstration where the line would operate as if it were open to the public.
However, with Thursday’s update, it appears a concrete timeline may no longer be in sight.
Following the TTC board meeting, transit riders took to social media to once again voice frustrations for the line that’s now been under construction since 2011.
“14 years of construction is just absurd. It’s like we’re getting outdated infrastructure by the time it opens,” a Reddit user said.
“I hate it here. Very sick and tired of the transit and traffic woes here,” another user said.
“It’s a complete embarrassment,” another user said.
The Finch West LRT has also faced a series of delays after it was originally supposed to open in 2021.
Last year, Metrolinx confirmed that all stations and stops for the Finch West LRT have been completed.
