Latest news with #LRT
CTV News
19 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
When will the Eglinton Crosstown LRT open? Place your bets
"Out of Service" signs are shown on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto on Friday, May 5, 2023. Nearly 15 years after construction began, there's a possibility the long-awaited Eglinton Crosstown LRT will open this coming September. If you'd like to place your bets on that, you actually can. Online sportsbook FanDuel has a novelty betting offer on when the Eglinton LRT will be open. 'At FanDuel, our team of dedicated Canadian Traders are on the ground building novelty markets that touch on the most topical storylines across sports, entertainment, local news and pop culture,' the FanDuel Canada Trading Team told CP24 in a statement. 'Our goal is to engage in the conversations our customers are already having, offering odds on the moments that resonate.' The site has been taking wagers for a month now and following last week's announcement from Metrolinx about the current timeline for the Crosstown LRTs opening, it has seen a surge of activity. 'We have seen increasing interest in this market with 35 per cent of all bets being placed this week,' FanDuel Canada said. The top two most popular opening timelines receiving bets are 'On or after November 1st' and 'Before or on August 31st.' If correct, bettors will earn +550 for the former or +1100 for the later. The favourite however—at +195—is for the LRT to launch between Sept. 16 and Sept. 20 There are three other dates available to wager on as well. LRT bets Online sportsbook FanDuel has a novelty betting offer on when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be open. 'At FanDuel, we are committed to promoting responsible gaming, ensuring that our customers can enjoy these unique betting opportunities with responsible play in mind. That is why our novelty markets, including the Eglinton LRT market, carry low bet limit restrictions.' Construction on the Crosstown began in 2011 and the nearly-$13 billion line was originally expected to be complete by 2020.
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
Police receive eighth report on lorry hitting parked cars near LRT
SHAH ALAM: Police have recorded an eighth report linked to a lorry crashing into multiple parked vehicles near Glenmarie Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station last Wednesday. Shah Alam district police chief ACP Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim stated authorities are still pursuing the lorry involved in the incident. The collision occurred around 2.10 pm, affecting commuters who had parked their cars roadside to use the LRT service. Mohd Iqbal added that the case is being probed under Rule 10 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Police probe damage to seven cars parked near Glenmarie LRT station
SHAH ALAM, June 27 — Police have received seven reports from motorists whose cars were damaged while parked near the Glenmarie Light Rail Transit (LRT) station here, allegedly by a passing heavy vehicle yesterday. District police chief ACP Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said investigations revealed that the incident, which occurred at around 2.10pm, happened when the owners had parked their cars along the roadside to take the LRT to work. He said the owners were horrified to find their vehicles damaged in various parts upon returning to the LRT station. 'As of 4 pm this afternoon (Thursday), the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division (BSPT) of the Shah Alam police headquarters has received seven police reports related to the incident. 'The investigating officer is sourcing for closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the nearby areas to identify the vehicle (or party) responsible and the case is being investigated under Rule 10 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959,' he said in a statement today. The public with related information is asked to contact BSPT investigating officer Insp Abdul Nasser Peping at 012-2863875. — Bernama
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
'This is how world-class cities are built': Construction of Green Line back on track
Article content Smith, in her speech, said the first phase of the Green Line will improve transit access in the southeast, providing tens of thousands of Calgarians an alternative method of transportation to reach the core and connect to the rest of the city's transit network. Article content 'That will take cars off the streets and less traffic means less gridlock and stress for everyone,' she said. Article content The first phase sets the Green Line up to eventually extend as far south as Seton, Smith added. Article content 'This means more opportunity to spur future development based around LRT and more jobs and growth.' Article content Technically, the Green Line has been under construction before, including property demolitions along the southeast segment of the alignment and belowground utility relocations in the Beltline and downtown. Article content Article content But Thursday marked the first time work has been underway since September 2024, when the Alberta government withdrew its $1.5-billion funding commitment over differences in how the project should be handled. While the city favoured a belowground tunnel through the core, the province preferred an aboveground solution that avoided potential cost overruns resulting from tunnelling. Article content The about-face from the province led to city council voting to wind down work on the project in mid-September, even though more than $1 billion had already been spent and cancelling the project would likely cost an additional $850 million in contract and legal costs. Article content Council heard from the independent Green Line board (which disbanded shortly afterward) that the Green Line would not be feasible without provincial support. Article content Article content Though the Green Line appeared to have been killed, the province commissioned engineering firm AECOM to come up with the alternative downtown alignment, which the firm presented in December. The province argued avoiding tunnelling would shave $1 billion off the budget, allowing the first leg of the Green Line to extend further south than the truncated alignment the city had approved last July. Article content Article content With the province and city back at the table, city council, begrudgingly, approved the revised plan in January, after months of tense back-and-forth rhetoric between Gondek and Dreeshen. Article content The federal government approved the revised business plan in March, allowing construction on the southeast segment to advance. Article content Asked Thursday how the project will avoid future turmoil, Dreeshen said a new governance committee including provincial and city officials will meet regularly to check in on the Green Line's progress and make sure the LRT proceeds on time and on budget. Article content 'There's more collaboration now than there's ever been,' he said. 'So that's a major way of how we can make sure that there isn't any surprises in the construction.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Future of downtown development to be debated over 2 days at Edmonton public hearing
Dozens of Edmontonians will be sharing their opinions on the future of downtown development as a two-day public hearing kicks off Thursday morning at city hall. According to the Office of the City Clerk, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, 72 people had registered to speak at the special public hearing on whether city council should extend the downtown Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) by 10 years. CRLs, which allow cities to borrow money against future property tax revenues, are a way to finance development in places where revitalization might not otherwise happen. When property values within a CRL area increase, a municipality can use the additional taxes to pay down the cost of borrowing for special projects there. Edmonton has three CRLs, and the downtown one — established in 2015 — is set to expire in 2034. City officials say extending it by a decade would allow the city to fund more projects and implement a downtown action plan. The terms of the extension, and who stands to benefit from public and private investments in the core, have become contentious — and there are millions of dollars at stake. The extension's supporters are calling it a "generational opportunity" to improve the city without raising taxes while critics are questioning why a privately-run event park should be included in the deal. What's new in the plan? The extension would add some new projects to a list that includes already completed ones like the downtown arena, community rink and Alex Decoteau Park. Infrastructure for new housing in Ice District, expanding the Winspear Centre, improving LRT entrances, brownfield remediation and the event park are among the additions. The province, the City of Edmonton and OEG Sports and Entertainment announced earlier this year that they were closing in on a deal that included a new all-season event park. The province would pay $97 million and OEG would pay $84 million with the remainder — $69 million — coming from the City of Edmonton through the CRL extension. The current CRL also has a number of projects that are in progress, like Warehouse Park, north of Jasper Avenue, between 106 and 108 Streets, and a pedway on 103A Avenue. Has the CRL worked? A recent city report says the CRL has attracted new investment and spurred development downtown to the tune of $4.7 billion. "I think that the CRL makes sense to a lot of proponents because it's worked with the arena project before, and so it's seen as a continuation of that," said Dan Mason, a sport management professor at the University of Alberta who consulted on the arena deal but has no involvement in the extension. The city report said the CRL brought three new office towers and thousands of new residential units downtown. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he's keeping his mind open but the CRL has helped transform downtown — and there is still more work to do. "We may not be where other downtowns are in North America, but we are on the path to do so and things are getting better and we just cannot lose momentum," he said at a news conference Tuesday. Though downtown generates less property tax revenue than it used to for the city, Sohi said reversing that trend would benefit all Edmontonians. Sohi also said investors consider the state of a city's downtown as a factor when deciding where to bring their business. Who benefits? Some downtown business groups and organizations — like the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, the Edmonton Downtown Business Association and the Downtown Revitalization Coalition — are urging city councillors to support the extension. They say the CRL isn't just about improving downtown but strengthening the entire city's economy and infrastructure. "From housing to transit to public safety, the CRL enables a more livable and investable city without raising taxes," the groups said in a June 20 news release. Some of the CRL extension's critics are zeroing in on the event park as a reason not to support it. The event park would be a city-owned facility east of Rogers Place, with space for more than 6,000 people outside and more than 2,500 inside. While the city would own the facility, it would be privately run, with one-third of booking time or space available for community groups and non-profits at below-market rates. A report submitted to the city from OEG said the new venue would help fill a gap in the market and bring customers to downtown businesses. Councillors asked administration to have the company's economic benefit estimates independently assessed. The city's analysis concluded the company's assumptions around economic impact were fair and reasonable. Mason, the U of A professor, said it all boils down to whether investing in the event park and the other proposed developments is the best way to achieve downtown revitalization. "The argument is over whether or not this type of development and these types of subsidies warrant that kind of investment or whether that money could be spent on something else that could also lead to this kind of conclusion," he said. Chelsea Tessier, co-owner and head brewer at Polyrhythm Brewing, north of downtown, said she likes the CRL as a model but she and her partner don't support the structure of the proposed extension. "We'd like to see more diversity and these funds being spread out around downtown," she said. She said other small business owners feel the same and would like to see other parts of the city revitalized. Other business owners and organizations have shared arguments for and against the extension with CBC News this week. Sylvester Borowka, who owns the restaurant Continental Treat, said he supports it because it could lead to increased foot traffic downtown and strengthen community. Several city councillors have criticized parts of the deal. Ward Nakota Isga Coun. and mayoral candidate Andrew Knack says he wants to remove "financially irresponsible aspects" from the extension. He'll be sharing his plan to do that at news conference before the hearing on Thursday morning.
