[felix123]

Prior to the recent moral panic over Dundas, I went thirty-five years thinking Dundas Ave. was so called because it ran vaguely in the direction of Dundas Ontario, you know, like Kingston Road in Scarborough or Richmond Road in Ottawa. It's a mystery why so many things were named for someone with nothing to do with Canada, really. We're possibly better off just selling the names to corporate sponsors if cancel culture has gone so far that even Ryerson and Macdonald are villains. How about Deco Labels Crossing?

One solution is to use an original indigenous place name, or a significant indigenous word that has a relationship with to the area, if the place isn't easily defined.

Vancouver did this with Musqueamview, and Montréal as well when they changed Amherst to Atateken.

Just passed by Yonge and Eglinton on the 56 bus. Seems like they still have a lot of work to do still just as a non-construction average member of the public perspective.

This was tough to read. Hurry up, CL/ML

 

[crs1026]

There is, of course, a new street and place naming commemorative policy for the City. With six guiding principles.

But a provincial entity would probably not care, or respect it.

- Paul

 

[UrbanFervour]

One solution is to use an original indigenous place name, or a significant indigenous word that has a relationship with to the area, if the place isn't easily defined.

Vancouver did this with Musqueamview, and Montréal as well when they changed Amherst to Atateken.

Amherst hated indigenous people and attempted to commit genocide.

Dundas's crime? Proposing the addition of a "sunset clause" into the bill that ended the slave trade in the British Empire. His action ensured the abolition bill was passed in the House of commons, (it had previously been soundly defeated when no sunset clause).

Democratic negotiation, historic facts, intent and nuance don't matter when the red guard is out to purge the culture of enemies (real or imagined) ...

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

even now they couldve opened just the above grade sections and maybe turned around at science center.. .ML's insistence to open all at once was a vanity decision that will haunt them.

Light rail trains have already been test running through the entire surface AND underground sections. They could bypass Eglinton Station, if they want, but again ML refuses to do so.

 

[T3G]

Light rail trains have already been test running through the entire surface AND underground sections. They could bypass Eglinton Station, if they want, but again ML refuses to do so.

Bypassing Eglinton station, i.e. the crown jewel of the line, hasn't been done because it would be a disaster from a PR perspective, and it also wouldn't make any sense from a service planning perspective, either. Lots of people are headed for the Yonge line, you would have them transfer somewhere along the route so they can enter Eglinton station?

 

[crs1026]

There’s also the small obstacle of having to have emergency exits lighting and ventilation and first responder access for all of the line - including Eglinton-Yonge. Can’t just drive thru hoping that there will not be an incident in that stretch.

Besides, any part of the line that is opened means the contractor gets paid for tht segment. Do we want the contractor to get 90%+ of their pay while the most important segment is unfinished ? Better leverage if the contractor has to get everything done to get paid.

- Paul

 

[drum118]

Light rail trains have already been test running through the entire surface AND underground sections. They could bypass Eglinton Station, if they want, but again ML refuses to do so.

How do riders transfer from/to one line to another when they want to use X??

Does this mean TTC "MUST" run buses between LRT stations to service the Yonge Line at a huge cost and inconvenience to riders??

Have said that, TTC was prepared to bypass Finch West Station to meet the opening date of the subway extension to Vaughan. This meant those who use Finch in the first place would continue to ride the system like they had been until the station was ready for service.

There was an open house for the station the day before the line open as schedule where the station just had an passing mark to open as schedule. It was another 6-12 months before it was fully completed in phases.

In this case for bypassing the Yonge line, TTC will need to run service like they do today until the station could be open at great cost. Best to wait until "ALL" stations can be in service from day one and let the contractor funding their own cost out of their pocket to build the line than the province and the taxpayers.

 

[smallspy]

Last I heard, the working target (faint hope) was to have the station ready for Labour Day.

But @smallspy may have more recent/accurate intel on that.

None of my contacts at either the TTC or Metrolinx have any more information than has already been shared, unfortunately.

Whatever I've been able to glean from the work at Eglinton & Yonge has been what I've been able to see with my own two eyes.

Dan

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

How do riders transfer from/to one line to another when they want to use X??

Does this mean TTC "MUST" run buses between LRT stations to service the Yonge Line at a huge cost and inconvenience to riders??

Have said that, TTC was prepared to bypass Finch West Station to meet the opening date of the subway extension to Vaughan. This meant those who use Finch in the first place would continue to ride the system like they had been until the station was ready for service.

There was an open house for the station the day before the line open as schedule where the station just had an passing mark to open as schedule. It was another 6-12 months before it was fully completed in phases.

In this case for bypassing the Yonge line, TTC will need to run service like they do today until the station could be open at great cost. Best to wait until "ALL" stations can be in service from day one and let the contractor funding their own cost out of their pocket to build the line than the province and the taxpayers.

Cedarvale Station (AKA Eglinton West) is further along than Eglinton Station. People could use the University-Spadina leg of Line 1 to get to and from Line 5.

If you currently get "alerts" for the subway lines, we get notifications that a station is being bypassed because of some "security" or other emergency situation. While only for a short duration, stations do get bypassed occasionally.

See link.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

‘Something really stinks here’: Why you still don’t know when the Eglinton LRT will start running​

Documents obtained by the Star show how Doug Ford’s government keeps a tight rein on what the public is allowed to know about the troubled transit project.​

From link.

Seven months after Metrolinx announced the Eglinton Crosstown LRT would once again fail to meet its target date, the public knows virtually nothing about how the project is going or when the line will finally open.

Asked by the Star this week when the light rail transit line, which has been under construction since 2011 and was once expected to be complete in 2020, might be done, Metrolinx said it did not have new details to offer, and put the blame on Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS), the construction consortium building the project.

“Metrolinx has been clear that we will not declare an opening date until we have a credible project schedule from CTS,” Metrolinx media relations wrote in a statement. Crosslinx did not respond to requests for comment.

“We are working through the most important phase right now, which includes testing, commissioning, certification and documentation to affirm that we can open a safe and reliable transit system,” Metrolinx said.

What is Metrolinx testing and commissioning? The Star asked. No response. What is the outstanding work that still needs to be done? No response. Is the project still on budget? No response.

And, a reporter’s final plea: “Would it be possible to answer my questions?”

Eglinton LRT costs and timeline have grown way past initial estimate​

As the Eglinton Crosstown LRT has spiralled beyond its initial estimates, both in cost and in timeline, details made public have become few and far between, raising questions about transparency and accountability at the provincial transit agency responsible for overseeing the project, as well as other multibillion-dollar transit projects across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Even as reporters, city officials and Metrolinx’s board members press for answers, few are forthcoming. But internal emails viewed by the Star give an indication as to who is managing the messaging and why answers to basic questions are so hard to come by.

According to communications the Star obtained through a freedom of information request, Metrolinx has at times wanted to give the public more information about the Eglinton LRT, but the provincial government directed staff at the transit agency not to.

Documents show close links between Doug Ford government and Metrolinx​

The documents, which span from July to October of last year, show how information about the Eglinton LRT flows from Metrolinx to the public, and the close relationship between the provincial transit agency and Doug Ford’s government. Critics say it is the latest example of political interference by the province with Metrolinx, which was designed as an arm’s-length agency in order to be able to implement the best transit policy based on evidence.

Instead, it has become one more layer of bureaucracy that conceals updates on the Eglinton LRT’s progress — or lack of it.

“This is an enormous project, and you’ve got no effective oversight, and no effective transparency and no effective accountability,” said Mark Winfield, professor of environmental and urban change at York University, referring to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT as a “$13-billion black hole.”

As of September 2022, the approved budget for the project was $12.8 billion.

Because Metrolinx does not have a regulator that it must publicly report to, it operates in a “vacuum,” Winfield said, adding there needs to be an effective third-party authority to oversee the province’s transit planning and development. The government does not have the capacity, expertise, or impartiality to oversee such an enormous entity as Metrolinx, Winfield added.

“The interventions you get from the minister’s office … are completely for the purposes of political management.”

Eglinton LRT raises questions about Ontario Line​

Winfield said the Eglinton Crosstown LRT’s track record does not inspire faith in Metrolinx’s other projects — notably, the Ontario Line, which has already doubled in cost to more than $17 billion and which will necessitate heavy construction downtown for the next decade.

The Star previously reported that Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney’s office directed Metrolinx to leave two Toronto New Democrat MPPs off a notice sent to city and federal politicians about tree removals in their jurisdictions — against the transit agency’s advice.

“As a crown agency, naturally the Minister’s office works closely with Metrolinx, which has been the process for over a decade,” Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Dakota Brasier wrote in response to questions from the Star.

“Our focus is to ensure the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is operational as soon as possible,” Brasier added, before nearly repeating what Metrolinx said: “Metrolinx is working through the most important phase right now, which includes testing, commissioning, certification and documentation and we will not compromise the safety and reliability of the system at any point, as we get much-needed transportation infrastructure built.”

When completed, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will run for 19 kilometres, between Kennedy in the east and Mount Dennis in the west, connecting with 54 bus routes, three TTC stations and GO lines, according to Metrolinx. But its construction has meant more than a decade of disruption for residents, commuters and local businesses — some of which have been forced to shutter as a result.

Metrolinx emails raise transparency questions​

“Something really stinks here. I don’t know why we don’t have the transparency we deserve,” said Joel Harden, NDP transit critic and MPP for Ottawa Centre. “These delays are expensive and costly, and we need to know why they’re happening.”

When Crosslinx was awarded the contract to build the LRT in 2015, its projected completion date was September 2021. But the years since have seen legal battles and additional payments made to Crosslinx to keep the project on track after the pandemic ramped up costs. In December 2021, Metrolinx said the transit line would be complete by September 2022 and ready for service in 2023. But in September, the Star reported the line was delayed again, this time with no new end date on record.

Eglinton LRT delays a mystery​

Very little has been said publicly about what’s behind the current delays.

Metrolinx has previously cited defects in old infrastructure under the TTC Eglinton station as a reason for the delays, and recent comments by Metrolinx’s chief capital officer for rapid transit suggest there is still outstanding work to be done in that part of the line.

At a Metrolinx board meeting in February, Andrew Hope said Crosslinx has some work to finish, “most notably at Yonge and Eglinton, which is the flagship station of the line, where there is very good progress happening at the station, but still some utility and road restoration work to happen in that location which we expect to be finished later this year.”

Neither Metrolinx nor the Ministry of Transportation answered a question from the Star this week about where the work at Yonge and Eglinton stands now. On Friday, the TTC announced there would be no subway service this weekend between York Mills and St. Clair stations (including Eglinton) due to Metrolinx construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Metrolinx CEO video quashed​

Last fall, Metrolinx had planned to give the public a closer look at the construction, including a specific update focused on Eglinton station. According to a draft communications plan from September viewed by the Star, Metrolinx intended to produce a video with Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, TTC CEO Rick Leary and Crosslinx CEO Bill Gifford “offering project construction and operational updates to create a ‘visual’ status update.”

The portion of the video featuring Verster was filmed — but it never saw the light of day.

On Sept. 9, Mike DeRuyter, assistant director of strategic communications for the Ministry of Transportation, circulated the draft communications plan with ministry staff. One week later, Mulroney’s then-issues director Jordanna Colwill wrote to DeRuyter: “Can we confirm with Metrolinx that they haven’t made any movement on the proposed video update yet? Just want to ensure the plan is (Premier’s office) approved before they start any co-ordination on that front.” According to a response from DeRuyter, Metrolinx confirmed the video of Verster had been filmed.

On Sept. 22, Colwill wrote to Steven Hobbs, Metrolinx’s chief of staff: “I understand you spoke with Mike Beaton (Mulroney’s chief of staff) about a potential new approach for Metrolinx (Eglinton Crosstown LRT) comms. Here is the new statement, which we propose comes from Phil (Verster).” What followed was the statement that Metrolinx ended up posting on its blog the next day.

That statement had been workshopped the day before by staff at the Ministry of Transportation and the Premier’s office, according to internal emails.

The first version of the proposed statement shared by Colwill included the line: “We have made significant progress; however it is taking longer than expected to finalize testing and operational readiness for the project.”

Doug Ford’s office weighs in on LRT messaging​

Ivana Yelich, then Ford’s executive director of media relations, responded: “This is misleading. Testing and operational readiness is not the reason for delay.”

The next morning, on Sept. 22, Yelich sent the final statement, which blamed Crosslinx for the delay. “Unfortunately, while progress has been made, Crosslinx Transit Solutions have fallen behind schedule, are unable to finalize construction and testing, and therefore the system will not be operational on this timeline,” part of the statement read.

The 124-word statement that was posted on Metrolinx’s blog on Sept. 23 is the last the public has heard from the agency about the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

In the days after, reporters asked Metrolinx repeatedly for more information, but documents suggest the direction from the province was to say nothing more.

On Sept. 26, Metrolinx communications manager Lyndsay Miller emailed Ministry of Transportation staff looking for direction on how to respond to media requests from CP24 and CBC’s “Metro Morning.”

 

[Parkdalian]

Amherst hated indigenous people and attempted to commit genocide.

Dundas's crime? Proposing the addition of a "sunset clause" into the bill that ended the slave trade in the British Empire. His action ensured the abolition bill was passed in the House of commons, (it had previously been soundly defeated when no sunset clause).

Democratic negotiation, historic facts, intent and nuance don't matter when the red guard is out to purge the culture of enemies (real or imagined) ...

Place names change. It's always been this way. I don't know why people get lathered up about names changing. Look at the history of London - most place names have changed many times in the last 1,000 years. It's part of the fun of history!

 

[felix123]

‘Something really stinks here’: Why you still don’t know when the Eglinton LRT will start running​

Documents obtained by the Star show how Doug Ford’s government keeps a tight rein on what the public is allowed to know about the troubled transit project.​

From link.

The Ontario line also has two interchanges underneath line 1, one of them under a station as old as Eglinton. The Ford government needs to be put in its place and to stop muzzling communication from a public entity, or else we may very well end up having déjà vu in 2030, 2031, 2032... 2036, and so on.

 

[ARG1]

The Ontario line also has two interchanges underneath line 1, one of them under a station as old as Eglinton. The Ford government needs to be put in its place and to stop muzzling communication from a public entity, or else we may very well end up having déjà vu in 2030, 2031, 2032... 2036, and so on.

I guess you're not following the developments on the Ontario Line huh


Part of the problem with the transfer stations on Eglinton is the process of underpinning the existing Line 1 stations, so that the new station can be built underneath them. The "solution" that the Ontario Line came up with is building the stations so deep that this wouldn't be something they'd have to deal with during construction (which leads us to those infamous diagrams where there are a ton of escalators from Queen Line 1 to OL). They've definitely learned their lesson, although I'm not sure they drew the right conclusions.

 

[rbt]

They've definitely learned their lesson, although I'm not sure they drew the right conclusions.

I was hoping the lesson learned would be to add an extra year to the schedule to account for this type of unknown.

Ford likes to say subways last for centuries: These are terrible transfer points that great-great grandkids will be stuck using. It's damn hard to realign a tunnel even if you're willing to rebuild the station.