After months of speculation about when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT would open, TTC staffers have hinted that it could be the last in its 13th year of construction, as it continues to refuse to release an opening date.
TTC staff presented the 2024 operating and capital budgets Friday afternoon in advance of Wednesday’s board meeting. The document includes references to the opening of the Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown Line and Line 6 Finch West Light Rail Transit Line.
“TTC plans to open Lines 5 and 6 in September 2024, but that is subject to change.” budget report He said this while referring to future operating costs.
CityNews contacted Metrolinx Friday night for comment on the projections contained in the TTC report. A spokesperson said in a statement that testing and commissioning are continuing and that “as soon as we are confident of a date, we will share it with the public.”
The timing is notable because the head of state transportation agency Metrolinx declined to provide information on when Eglinton Crosstown would open. The latest denial came a week before the TTC’s budget announcement, during a much-anticipated tour of one of the line’s 25 stations.
“As some of you may have seen today, we are finding and fixing issues and deficiencies,” President and CEO Phil Verster said on Dec. 8. .
“We will announce an opening date once we are satisfied that we understand the risk of contained cases, but not before that.”
bell star I repeated my recent promise. Notify the public of the opening date three months before the line begins operation. Despite repeated questions from reporters, he did not even rule out the possibility of a specific time period, without specifying a tentative date.
“We’re not going to be tied for a date. We’re not going to speculate on what year it is. We’re going to focus on moving the program forward,” Verster said.
“Progress on this project has improved significantly over the past year as we have started to further clarify some of the commercial issues.The progress you are seeing is primarily due to: [Crosslinx Transit Solutions] We have 200 people on our side and two teams working closely together to overcome this issue. ”
The closest clue to when the line would open came when we visited the platform level on a tour.
CTS President Bill Gifford said some of the above-ground rail sections were not built completely to spec, and work to “tweak” some rail sections “literally millimeter by millimeter” is expected to begin in 2024. He said it would be done. He said the last part of the work would ideally be done in “warm, dry weather” when there is no snow on the ground.
After a lengthy absence from press briefings, Metrolinx officials released an update in September, but Verster did not provide a date.
“While I was going to join you today to predict an opening date, set of opening dates, or range for Eglinton Crosstown, I have decided not to do so,” he said on Sept. 27. .
“I know it’s tempting to try to interpret what I think about opening day. All I can say is, give me a little space and let me come back and give you some feedback.”
The TTC’s 2023 budget included funding to operate both lines, but the opening was “delayed to 2024,” saving the TTC $46.5 million.
It is estimated that it will cost $60.7 million to operate Eglinton Crosstown in 2024, but a one-time infusion of reserve funds will add $10.3 million and new fare revenue will add $2.1 million. That is scheduled.
The line is estimated to cost $99.4 million to operate in 2025, but TTC staff said the reduction in bus service would save $10 million and the new fares would save $5.7 million. I am.
The Budget says the opening is part of a wave of transport expansion that will bring “new operating cost pressures to a difficult fiscal framework”.
$330 million in funding over three years starting in 2024 to operate and maintain the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT lines as part of the so-called “New Toronto Deal” with the Ontario government. was provided. Both lines remain owned by the state government. It also provided $300 million in one-time funding for the deficit, along with safety and security initiatives.
Work on the 19km line between Weston Road and Kennedy Road began in 2011. Eglinton Crosstown construction is more than 97 percent complete. The line was scheduled to open in 2020, but has been repeatedly postponed due to various legal and construction issues, as well as COVID-19-related delays.
No new TTC fare increases are proposed.
As part of the budget proposal, TTC staff proposed a 10-cent fare increase in 2023, followed by a fare freeze in 2024.
“While the 2023 fare adjustments helped fund investments in the safety, cleanliness, and accessibility of critical systems, they created undue hardship for riders who relied on transit the most.” are also recognized,” the report states.
“Given the current economic climate, this action is necessary to minimize the impact on TTC riders.”
TTC operating costs are expected to be $2.57 billion in 2024, which will be offset by $1.34 billion in revenue, officials said. The remaining $1.23 billion will require funding from the City of Toronto.
