Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the long delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT may finally open as soon as September, but transit riders say they’re skeptical.
Details were shared by Ford on Tuesday when speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park, when asked about whether or not the line is on track to open in September, and Ford replied with optimism.
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“Yes, that’s what I’m hearing,” he said. “I’m hearing some positive things about the Eglinton track.”
Ford said the line is expected to be handed over to the TTC in “the next couple of weeks for trial runs.
“Thank God, and that’s all I gotta say about that project,” he said.
Metrolinx has not publicly commented on when the line will start operating.
Construction on the line began in 2011, and was originally supposed to open in 2020, but after several delayed openings, legal issues, and nearly $1 billion over budget, Torontonians have still been left with no actual opening date.
Metrolinx has previously stated that the opening of the line would be announced three months in advance.
While the opening of the line has been long awaited, locals have taken to social media to share their skepticism on the project that’s still undergoing testing nearly five years after its scheduled opening date.
“I will believe it when I see it,” one X user said.
“September of which year? I’ll believe it when I see it,” another user said.
“As someone who lives close to the LRT line on Mount Pleasant, I’ll believe it when I see it,” A reddit user said.
While most social users expressed doubt some did appear to be optimistic.
“They’ve taken down almost all the temporary walls in Eglinton over the past few weeks. Seems promising,” a Reddit user said.
“This is a good sign, but don’t read too much into it,” another user said.
The LRT will span 19 kilometres running from Mount Dennis in the west to Kennedy Station in the east.
The line has already been met with criticism by advocates who are calling on the city to install signal priority to speed up future travel times for commuters.
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In addition to the line, the Finch West LRT has also been met with a series of delays after it was originally set to open in 2021, running from Finch West to Humber College.
However, Metrolinx confirmed in 2024 that construction for the Finch West LRT has officially been completed, but it is unknown when the line will start operating.
