It may come as no surprise to Torontonians but the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project will not be opening this year.
The news comes following Metrolinx’s recent board of directors meeting which detailed a report on the transit agency’s latest project updates. The delay marks the 14th year the project has been pushed.
For months, Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster said he would provide a three-month notice ahead of the project opening. But come the end of September, the transit agency still had no update to provide and it was clear the project was not ready.
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Construction for the Eglinton Crosstown began back in 2011 and since then, construction delays, legal issues, and the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed back the project’s completion and opening date which was initially supposed to be in 2020.
On Tuesday, Metrolinx Senior Manager of Media Relations and Issues Andrea Ernesaks told reporters that city staff are in the midst of completing its inspections for the line.
Ernesaks says this includes system testing, verifying thousands of components, operator driver training and targeting software defects.
For instance, she told CityNews Toronto, only five out of 46 construction certificates needed before operation have been issued, an additional four more certificates have to be reviewed and the city has only issued 36 out of the 40 occupancy permits.
Meanwhile, on social media, many Torontonians have grown tired of waiting for the project to be opened.
“Toronto has surely become the laughing stock of the global transit community,” one X user said.
“You know, my late father once dreamed of the Eglinton Crosstown opening when it was first annouced back in 2007. “It would make the commute to Steeles & Weston so much faster,” he’d say. He passed away in 2021. The LRT is still not open. I will never not be angry about this,” another user shared.
“No one in charge of this project can ever be allowed to lead any future development ever again,” another user said.
“Wow!! totally did not expect that,” another user commented.
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