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TORONTO \u2013 A long-delayed Toronto light rail line is finally set to open Sunday and while Premier Doug Ford describes the process of getting to that point as a \u201cnightmare,\u201d he also says it\u2019s time to move on.<\/p>\n
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT is opening six years after it was originally scheduled to open, and 15 years after construction began.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally,\u201d said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, as she opened a press conference Friday with politicians and transit officials.<\/p>\n
Critics have been calling for a full public inquiry to ensure accountability and that any lessons learned get applied to future transit projects, but Ford quickly dismissed that idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m the first to come out and acknowledge the mistakes, but I\u2019m not going to waste time on inquiry and all the nonsense, tie all these people up,\u201d Ford said, pointing to transit officials at the press conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be different if we didn\u2019t acknowledge it. But yeah, has it been a nightmare for all of us? One hundred per cent. The good news is we\u2019re moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael Lindsay, president and CEO of provincial transit agency Metrolinx, said officials have learned that how a transit line\u2019s vehicles, systems and civil infrastructure integrate has to be top of mind from the start. They\u2019ve also learned how to better manage construction disruptions for local communities and businesses, and that finding the right contract models is key, he said.<\/p>\n
NDP Leader Marit Stiles partly blamed the public-private partnership, or P3, model for the issues plaguing the construction and rollout.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say one of the biggest problems with all of that is that nobody can ever give you any answers,\u201d she said. \u201cThere is zero accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
But with the premier uninterested in looking back at mistakes, he urged everyone to move forward and celebrate the line\u2019s opening. He chided reporters for asking questions he deemed too negative about Crosstown LRT communications failures and mistakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGuys, you\u2019re beating a dead horse here,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been going through this for years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 19-kilometre LRT line that is partly underground, with 25 stations, is set to open in phases, with increasing levels of service over the next six months.<\/p>\n
The line is set to run from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with trains arriving every four minutes and 45 seconds during peak periods. In six months, the line is supposed to operate from 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., with trains arriving every three minutes and 30 seconds during peak periods.<\/p>\n
Another Toronto LRT recently opened, on Finch West, but it has seen a number of issues and service disruptions, which local media reports have linked at least partly to winter weather. Many eyes will be on the Eglinton LRT, watching for its reliability as service begins on a cold February weekend.<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n