The TTC's Dundas Station to be called TMU Station after board approves name change
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CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Eglinton Crosstown LRT opening date 'very close,' says Toronto city manager
Social Sharing Toronto's city manager says the Eglinton Crosstown LRT opening date is very close and the transit project is in its final stages of testing. Paul Johnson told CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Tuesday that he's "blindly optimistic" that the long-delayed light rail transit will open soon. "It is very, very close. These are the last stages of really testing it," he said. The 25-stop line was initially set to open in 2020, but a series of technical problems and associated cost overruns have plagued the project and repeatedly delayed its completion. Construction on the line began in 2011. The transit line will open when it's "safe and operationally sound to do so" and testing has been going well, Johnson said on Tuesday. "It's going to open soon. Everybody's working towards that, and I know people want to know the actual date. The only thing holding back the date is, we also don't want this to be unreliable and be a very poor service when it goes in," said Johnson. He said staff have been running tests to make sure all trains have what they need to run daily. They are also checking the route timings and if all systems are working properly. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last month that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT line was on track to open this September. September opening 'is a reach,' TTC interim CEO says At last week's TTC board meeting, outgoing TTC interim CEO Greg Percy was asked if the transit line was on track to open in September. "We're looking at still this fall to get something happening," answered Percy. "I think September is a reach, but this fall is plausible and certainly by year-end." WATCH | Percy talks about September opening date: The Eglinton Crosstown LRT may be delayed once again 5 days ago The TTC board heard a dissapointing update about the Eglinton Crosstown LRT on Thursdy. As CBC's Lane Harrison reports, the transit project may be facing yet another set of delays. TTC took control of the Eglinton Crosstown from Metrolinx last month. Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay said at the time that the system and vehicles were being "relentlessly" stress tested. Percy said at Thursday's board meeting that the decision on the opening date still falls to Metrolinx. He said safety and customer experience are key issues, and that the TTC won't open it until "it is satisfying both."
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
TTC fare inspectors will have a new name and new look as of Sunday
'As much as $140 million is lost to fare evasion every year', according to the last TTC audit in 2023. (Toronto Transit Commission/YouTube) The TTC has announced that their fare inspectors will instead be known as Provincial Offences Officers, starting on Sunday. The rebrand is in response to the 2019 Toronto Auditor General's report that suggested a stronger inspection presence would encourage people not to skip out on paying their fair fare. The Toronto Auditor General reported in 2019 that the TTC's overall fare evasion rate was 5.4 per cent, losing $61 million in fares in 2018. According to the TTC fare evasion has since more than doubled. 'As much as $140 million is lost to fare evasion every year', according to the last TTC audit in 2023. Provincial Offences Officers will continue to hand out fare evasion tickets, but now in a new uniform consisting of a grey shirt and vest. These tickets can range from $245 to $425. The TTC receives funding from the federal, provincial, and municipal government but about 42 per cent of its budget comes from the fare box, which is significantly more than other Ontario public transit agencies. 'The TTC receives a significant City of Toronto operating subsidy but also relies heavily on fares to support its operations. This transition to Provincial Offences Officers is one of several initiatives that we have rolled out recently to encourage fare compliance,' TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali said in a press release. 'We remind customers that when they choose not to pay their fare, it impacts our ability to increase service and keep fare prices low.' The TTC's 2025 budget kept fares frozen at 2023 rates and is taking steps to recoup lost revenue. Some of these steps include hiring more fare inspectors and introducing plain clothes fare inspectors.
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Ontario doubles down on September opening for Eglinton LRT despite TTC calling timeline ‘a reach'
Former interim TTC CEO Greg Percy says a September opening of the Crosstown Eglinton LRT is 'a reach.' The possibility that the long awaited Eglinton Crosstown LRT will open this September is now being considered 'a reach' by the TTC's former interim CEO. Greg Percy made the comments during a Toronto Transit Commission board meeting on Thursday in response to a question from Toronto-St. Paul's Coun. Josh Matlow. 'Is there any prospect of a full handover by September, or is there a legitimate concern that (Metrolinx) may fail to provide us a line that is ready to operationalize by September?,' Matlow asked. 'I think September is a reach,' Percy responded. 'But, this fall is plausible, and certainly by year end. There's lots and lots of stuff going on that we need to fix to open safely, and that's what we're focused on.' In April, Matlow told CP24 that he believed the LRT would open by September, and Premier Doug Ford echoed those statements in June. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation doubled down in a statement to CP24 on Thursday saying, 'In June we formally transferred operations of the line to the TTC. As we have said, we are targeting September for an opening date.' Metrolinx also pointed to a September opening in a statement on Thursday, writing, 'All civil infrastructure for the project is now complete, operator driver training is now complete and in June we formally transferred operations of the line to the TTC's command centre at Hillcrest.' 'We are currently relentlessly stress testing the system to ensure it is safe and reliable on the day it opens.' At Thursday's meeting, Percy said that the decision on opening the line falls with Metrolinx. 'It's still a Metrolinx decision,' said Percy. 'There's a number of us that are deeply involved in this and to push it over the line we're working intimately closely with Metrolinx. We're looking at still this fall to get something happening.' 'We are collaborating with the same priorities of safety and customer experience, and we won't open until it is satisfying both.' In a statement to CP24, the TTC says, 'Our CEO Mandeep Lali and Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay spoke last week and are committed to working together to open Line 5 as soon as it is ready for safe and reliable operations.' 'We have several phases of testing and commissioning to complete in advance of that, as has been previously outlined. The province will ultimately announce the opening date.' Construction on the Crosstown LRT began in 2011 and the nearly-$13 billion line was originally expected to be complete by 2020.
