Residents speak out on Sheppard subway extension plans.
There’s really only one answer to the question of when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is finally going to open: We don’t know.
There are estimates and rumours — there was even a statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford that the project was on track to open in September. Yet when media outlets reached out to Metrolinx to confirm Ford’s timeline, the agency declined to answer.
The delayed timeline is of course very frustrating — but so is the lack of communication and transparency. This isn’t the only example of Metrolinx failing to keep the public its tasked with serving up to date. They have a broader communication problem. It’s this communications problem that is causing one group of Scarborough residents associations to speak out.
In early 2023, the Transportation Minister at the time directed Metrolinx to put together a business case for the extension of the Sheppard Subway. The agency held public consultations that year and into 2024. Then they went quiet. Nothing has been said on the matter since.
“As a large and well-funded public agency tasked with the critically important responsibility to fix the transportation challenges that afflict our City and Region, we expect transparency from staff and accountability from the Board when it comes to informing the public about the work you oversee on our behalf,” reads part of a letter sent to Metrolinx by five northeast community associations — Agincourt Village, CD Farquharson, Heathwood, Pleasant View and Scarborough Rosewood.
Their letter — dated June 3 — called for a “comprehensive update” to be made at the June 26 board meeting. It’s a very reasonable request.
But here’s the thing: The board simply tabled the letter at their meeting, acknowledging it but not at all acting on it. They offered no new information.
It’s now been almost a year since the consultations on the Sheppard extension wrapped up and there has been nothing more said on the project.
This is a problem. When Metrolinx was first formed as a provincial agency in 2006, the purpose was to depoliticize and expedite the planning and building of transit. What we instead have is endless delays and a process shrouded in secrecy.
If the delays, cost overruns and lousy communication related to the Eglinton Crosstown was a one-off, that would be one thing. (That project is now five years behind schedule.) But it appears to be a trend and the public is losing confidence in Metrolinx.
A handful of Toronto City councillors recently put together a subcommittee for the sole purpose of to liaising with Metrolinx to get information on the downtown relief line project that’s now under construction. The municipal government shouldn’t have to form a committee though just to get information from the provincial government. The information should be free flowing — with thorough and regular updates.
The status quo from Metrolinx is unacceptable. But it will continue as long as the public is accepting of it. What we need to do instead is make some noise to add to the political pressure.
These Scarborough residents associations will be applauded for continuing to speak out. Whether it’s the construction chaos and gridlock or the fact that billions of our taxpayer dollars are on the line here, Scarborough residents deserve transparency from Metrolinx.
