What to know
- The Eglinton LRT is finally open, operating under ‘soft opening’ conditions which means its hours are shorter.
- The new Line 5 comes 15 years after construction began, 6 years overdue, and $1-billion over-budget.
- Transit riders are cautiously optimistic, though many say disruptions are not surprising.
- The city and Metrolinx are welcoming feedback from riders throughout its phased opening in order to improve its services.
The Eglinton LRT’s first day on the tracks went without significant disruptions, with riders saying it’s “so far, so good”.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says it will continue to improve, especially once the transit signal priority is sorted at the end of February.
“Yes, there were some problems in the past,” Chow told reporters at Kennedy Station on Sunday morning.
“But moving forward, we know it’s going to be critically important to link the city from east to west.”
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The Eglinton LRT is six years behind schedule after it was first set to open in 2020. On top of the delays, it also sits $1-billion over the initial budget.
It is now the city’s second transit line to open in the last two decades, including the Finch West Line 6 LRT that hit the tracks last December. Line 6 was wrought with issues right off the bat, recording over 300 delays that month alone.
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The growing pains of Line 6 prompted the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to announce that Line 5 was launching under “phased ‘soft-opening’ conditions.”
“They do not want to make the same errors as the Finch West LRT and the Ottawa LRT,” Scarborough Liberal MPP Andrea Hazell tells Now Toronto.
“This is our third attempt at getting it right, and I hope they get it right.”
Hazell is one of many Liberal MPPs in Queen’s Park who are calling for a public inquiry from the Ford government. Transit advocates and local Business Improvement Areas (BIA) are also among those seeking transparency on why Line 5 took so long to complete and why it cost an extra $1-billion.
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“In the last 15 years, we’ve seen over 300 business closures throughout the duration [of the LRT construction],” Jason McDonald, the chairman of Little Jamaica BIA tells Now Toronto.
“Little Jamaica is in a state of emergency due to this infrastructure project. Mind you, we are very happy that this is finally coming to a closure. … But we are seeking compensation for our community.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford ruled out a public inquiry into the Eglinton LRT this past Friday.
“I’m not going to waste time on inquiry and all that nonsense, tie all these people up. … It would be different if we didn’t acknowledge it,” Ford told reporters at a news conference.
To this, Hazell says she intends to continue pushing and speaking on behalf of the affected communities.
“I’m going back on the neglect that we (the provincial government] let happen for all the small businesses in Little Jamaica. They had to close shop, it’s a ghost town.”
Transit riders are cautiously optimistic
Although Line 5 opening was without fan fare, dozens of riders lined up early in the morning for a chance to be one of the firsts on the train. In December, hundreds wrapped around Finch West Station up, some having lined up as early as 2 a.m.
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Kavin, who was 4 months-old when Line 5 began construction, was excited to be on the first Eglinton LRT ride but couldn’t hide his disappointment about the lack of fan fare.
“They spend so much money on this – one billion dollars over budget – but I don’t know why there are all these delays when they had this much money to spend. They should make them faster and better,” he tells Now Toronto as he held up the commemorative he received from the opening of Line 6.
Transit enthusiasts like Abigail, on the other hand, think taking the opening slowly was the right call.
“It makes sense that they’re phasing it, trying to open slowly to deal with these [issues]. But it’s also like, after 15 years, come on, please, figure it out,” she tells Now Toronto.
Chow says the city, the TTC and Metrolinx are all ears to complaints.
“Yes, we will improve on it, there will be enhancements,” she says.
“To those riders, if you have ideas on how we can make this better, let us know.”
With the phased opening, the TTC is asking for feedback from riders which it says will “help [them] understand what’s working well and where the TTC and Metrolinx can enhance [their] overall experience.”
The survey is open to the public online.
