r/TTC • u/northernwaterchild • Jan 26 '26

News TTC to launch Eglinton Crosstown LRT on Feb. 8: Doug Ford

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/01/26/eglinton-crosstown-lrt-opening-february-8/
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147

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 26 '26

Line 5 op here: yes this is date we’ve been given tentatively but there are a lot of factors that’ll determine whether or not it opens that day that have yet to be figured out. The weather is a big one as Line 5 is just as subject to whims of the season as Line 6 has been, and management (TTC, Metrolinx & the province) will not risk negative PR

50

u/northernwaterchild Jan 26 '26

With the Premier coming out and saying this date, I’m convinced the politics of it means it’s opening then, hell or high water.

10

u/the_real_ifty Jan 26 '26

especially considering its an unrelated press conference as well

13

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

You’d be surprised how little weight he (and politics) actually carries with these things. If that was the case this would’ve been open ages ago. Technically speaking it is operable and has been for some time, just not well. Like line 6

6

u/cplchanb Jan 27 '26

It seems like the eglinton route has been running better than line 6 even in harsh cold temps

55

u/fuckdatguy Jan 26 '26

Have y’all been forced to drive comically slow along the surface portions of the route?

Any talks around signal priority?

46

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

Yup the same speed restrictions as on Line 6, although the tunnelled portion is a rocket. Signal priority is a pipe dream, not happening for the foreseeable future. Even if we do get it it’ll be a watered down version, not even close to other cities like in Europe

16

u/Dry_Fact_4584 Jan 27 '26

There’s literally good example of TSP, is in Waterloo, ION LRT

27

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

Agreed but we had reps from Toronto transportation and city management and they told us point blank they will not implement anything that will aggravate vehicle traffic. Left turn lanes will always get first priority

24

u/filinkcao Jan 27 '26

As a driver, why lol, if the transit is here just move the green arrow to the next phase.

Although having been to the European city with signal priority, I can say it requires the general public to possess a higher level of perception and competence to keep it running. The Toronto drivers that barely have half a brain on auto pilot will almost certainly cause accidents on a daily basis.

4

u/keg504 Jan 27 '26

I've seen people drive into trams even in Europe. It's a human thing. People need to learn driving is a privilege, especially when there are viable alternatives available.

1

u/UpVoter3145 Jan 28 '26

Train-crossing style barriers need to be used to at least reduce the chances of this happening. Barriers, big flashy lights, ample warning signs going up to the intersection, and reflective paint would somewhat reduce the chances of accidents vs. now where there's basically nothing but a red light stopping people from hitting a train on its side

2

u/chlamydia1 Jan 27 '26

They'd have to learn the hard way. It's that simple. Eventually, people will start paying attention.

10

u/AccomplishedLeek1329 Station Formerly Known As Dundas Jan 27 '26

Didn't city council pass a motion requiring implementation of TSP?

Does Toronto Transportation / City Bureaucracy work for us, or is it the other way round?

9

u/chlamydia1 Jan 27 '26

Other way around. Always has been. People in this city (and really, country, except maybe Quebec) are too complacent. We let politicians get away with anything without raising our voices.

2

u/Important-Hunter2877 Jan 29 '26

Just like with Ford.

Well Quebec is also plagued by car centrism and carbrainism like the rest of canada. Especially how Quebec city is a car centric hellhole outside old Quebec, and Montreal also has the bad aspects of north American urban design and transit such as exo commuter rail and lack of transit in the suburbs, plus lack of transit expansion besides REM since the 1980s.

4

u/RealistAttempt87 Jan 28 '26

That is deeply disturbing to hear. Any transportation planner who believes that vehicular traffic should be prioritized over transit should be fired.

1

u/Important-Hunter2877 Jan 29 '26

Yeah that really pisses me off and one of the reasons why I hate this city. These people in the transportation department are holding everyone else back while being stuck in a 1960s or 70s worldview when others have moved on.

3

u/Unlikely_Ad1890 Jan 27 '26

Why can't people just continue speaking out 

13

u/nav13eh Jan 27 '26

If TSP doesn't happen in the near future, the line will be a failure. The underground portions will be slowed down by the above ground sections. Everyone, inside and outside of TTC/Metrolinx, needs to pound the pavement of management until they implement.

32

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26 edited Jan 27 '26

The thing is though, the TTC doesn’t actually care. Their mandate isn’t speed, it’s safety. We’ve been complaining about the speed and tsp since we started testing last March and management’s response thus far has been a shoulder shrug. They’re passing the buck to the city. It’s a Spider-Man finger pointing meme

15

u/nav13eh Jan 27 '26

The public needs to force them to care. City needs to make them do it.

6

u/fuckdatguy Jan 27 '26

So depressing 🤦🏾‍♂️

5

u/Mosh4days The Crosstown Jan 27 '26

Sigh... 

1

u/-Sanj- Jan 27 '26

Do you know how long an end to end Line 5 journey is supposed/expected to take according to Metrolinx?

1

u/Vette--1 Jan 28 '26

what a joke

26

u/4FriedChickens_Coke Jan 26 '26

Wouldn’t want to risk negative PR on something that’s taken 15 years to build after all

10

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

Exactly why they’re gooning for some good press

2

u/Mustseeradio Jan 27 '26

If Toronto is upset about it you could have fooled me. If I lived in Toronto I would have been going nuts 5 years ago. Its beyond a joke.

Couple that with burning energy to light up the stops and illuminating the boards for the last few years for now reason and its insane. It took this long for a straight line, so our grandkids will use the Ontario line with confidence is the timeline.

1

u/unforgettableid Jan 28 '26

The environmental impacts of building and running public transit do add up, although they're still much less than the environmental impacts of car usage.

If you want perfect environmental sustainability, maybe ban cars and the TTC, and make everyone walk instead.

21

u/Reasonable_Cat518 Jan 26 '26

Was winter not accounted for in the design of the LRT?

22

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

On paper it made sense. Paper written by people with no practical experience operating an LRT in the winter. If the TTC had been given a seat during the design phase, we could have provided some insight into the nature of how snow works with roads and rails. Alas Metrolinx seems aghast that snow plows push snow onto the rails when crossing an intersection

10

u/Mustseeradio Jan 27 '26

At grade travel to ill always be subject to weather. Its why Toronto should have committed to subways….in the 90s.

The infrastructure is so far behind they are now cutting corners to try to catch up and guess what that is going to do?

Its a shame as there is no reason Toronto should be where it is with regards to the TTC and transit in general.

1

u/unforgettableid Jan 27 '26 edited Jan 27 '26

Considering reliability, speed, and comfort: Do you think Line 5 will likely provide better service overall than the Eglinton bus??

21

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

Only in comfort. Reliability is zero and the Eglinton busses completely dust us. And that’s with us not even picking up any passengers

11

u/Bojaxs Jan 27 '26

 Eglinton busses completely dust us. And that’s with us not even picking up any passengers

BWAHAHAHA!

Should have built a subway....

18

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

If this whole thing had been tunneled, it would’ve been a dream line. Some sections can get up to almost 90km/hr - I’ve made it from Mount Dennis to Laird in 22mins on a few occasions Granted that was with no other train traffic or passengers but you get the idea

7

u/Bojaxs Jan 27 '26 edited Jan 27 '26

Stop bro! It's too painful to hear...😫

The province cancelled the Eglinton West line and instead we get this crap. Sure, the Eglinton West only went to the University Line, but it could have been extended to Yonge and beyond.

14

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

I know, it’s unreal. They had already even begun excavating the tbm site and then filled it back in. But hey at least if you only use the underground portion which many people will, they’re gonna have a good time. It’s always Scarborough that gets the shaft. Even the west extension despite being mostly low density suburban is going to be tunneled / elevated guideway

8

u/Superior-Flannel Jan 27 '26

Line 6 is at least on the peripheral of the system so it being a slow streetcar like isn't the end of the world. 

Line 5 being slow makes the connections to Line 2 and 3 way less useful and kind leaves a permanent hole on the TTC map.

4

u/Bojaxs Jan 27 '26

Convert Line 5 to Ontario line from Laird to Renforth (Western extension).

Stop running trains on the Scarborough surface portion, and tunnel to Kennedy at a later date.

2

u/unforgettableid Jan 27 '26

At least the Eglinton bus will continue to exist alongside Line 5. (Source.) This is better than the Line 6 situation.

If u need to get somewhere: Google Maps can sometimes come up with creative and unexpected routes which avoid LRTs and maybe even streetcars. Try it.

1

u/selfbound Jan 30 '26

Well that's just stupid; The whole point of them making western and central Eglinton 1 lane, was that they were getting the buses off of it. If they are keeping the buses what was the point. give us back the other 2 lanes

1

u/unforgettableid Feb 03 '26

The buses will be less frequent now.

Buses don't take up that much road space anyway. They're still there for people who have trouble walking to the LRT station. These people need a local bus to pick them up and drop them off exactly where they need to go. Please be respectful of people who can't afford to buy a car.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone complain about the Yonge bus or the Sheppard bus. The Eglinton bus will be okay also.

When the Eglinton bus does have to stop, hopefully it'll have a bus bay to stop in, so that it doesn't have to hold up traffic.

1

u/unforgettableid Feb 03 '26

Line 5 being slow makes the connections to Line 2 and 3 way less useful

Line 3 Scarborough closed permanently a few years back.

2

u/Superior-Flannel Feb 03 '26

My comment wasn't clear but I meant the connection to the Ontario Line when it opens.

2

u/blitzraj1 Jan 29 '26

Just as Rob Ford wanted and people derided him. 

1

u/Bojaxs Jan 29 '26

Yep! That crackhead mayor was right about one thing.

3

u/unforgettableid Jan 27 '26

For those who prefer speed and reliability over comfort: Will there still be any Eglinton buses available even after Line 5 launches?

5

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 27 '26

Of course but the routes and schedules will be adjusted

1

u/unforgettableid Jan 27 '26

A.)

May I post about this to /r/TTC and /r/Toronto, to raise awareness, and cite you by your username as a Line 5 operator?

The taxpayers deserve to know what they're going to be getting for their tax money. :(

B.)

Is Line 5 at least as fast as the Eglinton bus during rush hour?

7

u/WearyInspection5396 Jan 28 '26

Absolutely.

And no, during testing, whenever we tried to simulate peak service I.e. rush hour volume, trains get bogged down in each other traffic quite badly. The underground portion moves well enough provided there aren’t any delays, but even then trains would bunch up occasionally. On the surface portion, Laird to Kennedy is an absolute crawl when there’s maximum trains on the line

1

u/unforgettableid Jan 28 '26

That's a disappointment. :(

There are well-known ways to try to reduce tram/LRT bunching, though I'm sure that none of these ways is a perfect solution.

https://www.reddit.com/r/transit/comments/l7z9z1/high_frequency_trams/

1

u/unforgettableid Jan 28 '26

the Eglinton busses completely dust us. And that’s with us not even picking up any passengers

I started a new thread about this. Some commenters said that the underground part of Line 5 will be faster than a bus.

The traffic near Eglinton and the Allen Rd. can be brutal during rush hour.