Latest news with #GregPercy
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- 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.
Global News
5 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Opening Eglinton Crosstown LRT by September will be ‘a reach,' outgoing TTC boss says
The outgoing head of Toronto's transit agency is casting doubt over the tentative September opening date for the years-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT. At a Toronto Transit Commission meeting Thursday, outgoing CEO Greg Percy said it would be 'a reach' to open the new transit line by September. 'We're looking still at this fall to get something happening,' he said in response to questions from Coun. Josh Matlow. 'I think September's a reach 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.' A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation said September remained the target for the project. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'As our CEO Michael Lindsay has said, we are making major progress on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. 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,' Metrolinx said in a statement. Story continues below advertisement 'We are currently relentlessly stress testing the system to ensure it is safe and reliable on the day it opens.' The Eglinton Crosstown LRT has been without an opening date for years as it has encountered construction issues, software problems and legal battles involving the consortium building it. Phil Verster, the former CEO of provincial transit agency Metrolinx, previously said the public would be given a three-month heads-up that the line was due to open. 'It's an enormous stretch to have it open by September,' Toronto Coun. Dianne Saxe said on Thursday. 'There are several testing phases that are meant to take place…. I haven't seen any sign they're within 90 days of being able to open and we haven't got the notice they promised.' It's unclear if that is still Metrolinx's plan. It has not been mentioned in recent statements. To meet September, it would need to have been made in June. 'As we have said, we are targeting September for substantial completion,' the agency said in its statement. As recently as early June, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he believed the project was on track to open in September. Roughly one month ago, the TTC took control of trains on the line as final tests stepped up towards opening day.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bad news, commuters: the Eglinton Crosstown LRT may be delayed again
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT opening date may be delayed again. At Thursday's TTC board meeting, Coun. Josh Matlow asked outgoing TTC interim CEO Greg Percy if the long-delayed light rail transit line would be ready to open this 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." Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last month that the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line was on track to open this September. 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. TTC took control from Metrolinx on the Eglinton Crosstown last month. Metrolix CEO Michael Lindsay said at the time that the system and vehicles were being "relentlessly" stress tested. Percy said Thursday that the decision on the opening date still falls with Metrolinx. He said safety and customer experience are key issues, and that the TTC won't open it until "it is satisfying both." After serving as TTC's interim CEO for almost a year, Percy will be replaced by the transit agency's new CEO, Mandeep Lali. On Tuesday, Lali told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that his first priority after assuming the role earlier this month is to increase reliability for the transit agency. He called the position a "once in a lifetime opportunity in terms of what's happening here in Toronto." "If you look at the two brand new lines coming on board, where in the world are you seeing that kind of level of construction and development?" he said, referring to the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘September is a reach': Still no firm timeline for opening of Eglinton Crosstown LRT
"Out of Service" signs are shown on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto on Friday, May 5, 2023. 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. However, Metrolinx has only ever said it was a 'possibility.' Percy added that the decision on opening the line falls with Metrolinx, who must hand it over to the TTC for final testing once ready. '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.
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Bad news, commuters: the Eglinton Crosstown LRT may be delayed again
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT opening date may be delayed again. At Thursday's TTC board meeting, Coun. Josh Matlow asked outgoing TTC interim CEO Greg Percy if the long-delayed light rail transit line would be ready to open this 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." Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last month that the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line was on track to open this September. 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. TTC took control from Metrolinx on the Eglinton Crosstown last month. Metrolix CEO Michael Lindsay said at the time that the system and vehicles were being "relentlessly" stress tested. Percy said Thursday that the decision on the opening date still falls with Metrolinx. He said safety and customer experience are key issues, and that the TTC won't open it until "it is satisfying both." After serving as TTC's interim CEO for almost a year, Percy will be replaced by the transit agency's new CEO, Mandeep Lali. On Tuesday, Lali told CBC Radio's Metro Morning that his first priority after assuming the role earlier this month is to increase reliability for the transit agency. He called the position a "once in a lifetime opportunity in terms of what's happening here in Toronto." Eglinton Crosstown and Finch West LRT.
