Eglinton Crosstown line

Eglinton Crosstown LRT
Overview
Type	Light rail
Status	Under construction
Locale	Toronto, Ontario
Termini	Kennedy Mount Dennis
Stations	27
Operation
Opening	2022-2023 (expected)[1]
Owner	Metrolinx
Operator(s)	Toronto Transit Commission[2]
Depot(s)	Black Creek Carhouse
Rolling stock	Flexity Freedom
Technical
Line length	19 km (12 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750V DC overhead [3]
Operating speed	80 km/h
Route map Legend Proposed Phase II extension Pearson AirportTerminal 1 Silver Dart Convair Highway 401 Commerce Renforth Rangoon Highway 427 East Mall Martin Grove Widdicombe Hill/Lloyd Manor Kipling Wincott/Bemersyde Islington Russell/Eden Valley Royal York Mulham Place Humber River Scarlett Jane ↓ Phase 1/Phase 2 ↑ Mount Dennis CN Weston sub. & CP MacTier sub. Black Creek Maintenance Facility Black Creek Drive Black Creek Keele Barrie GO ← to Union to Allandale Waterfront → Caledonia Dufferin Oakwood Allen  1  Spadina line ← to Finch via Union to Downsview → Bathurst Chaplin Avenue Road Yonge  1  Yonge line ← to Downsview via Union to Finch → Mount Pleasant Bayview Laird(formerly Brentcliffe) Don River (West branch) Leslie CP Don branch Don Mills Ferrand Don Valley Parkway Wynford Don River (East branch) Richmond Hill GO ← to Union to Richmond Hill → Bermondsey Victoria Park Pharmacy Lebovic Warden Birchmount Ionview Kennedy  2  Bloor–Danforth line  G  Stouffville GO ← to Union via Kennedy to Lincolnville → Scarborough RT

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT, or the Crosstown, is a light rail transit line under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to be owned by Metrolinx and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It was first conceived in 2007 by then Toronto Mayor David Miller and then chair of the TTC Adam Giambrone as part of Transit City, a large-scale transit expansion plan consisting of other proposed light rail transit lines.

Upon election of Rob Ford as mayor, a proposal was made to build the line fully underground as a rapid transit line, part of the Toronto subway and RT. After public debate about whether the line should be entirely underground or partially underground, Toronto City Council and Metrolinx decided to build the line according to the 2009 Transit City plan as a light rail line only partially underground, between Mount Dennis in York and Kennedy in Scarborough. Extending the line further westbound would be considered as part of the TTC's future expansion plans.

History

Concept

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT was conceived as a partially underground light rail line, announced in 2007 by Toronto Mayor David Miller and TTC chair Adam Giambrone. It was part of the Transit City plan, which included the implementation of six other light rail lines across Toronto. The original version of the line would have run from Pearson Airport along Silver Dart Road to Convair Drive. The line would have then turned southwest, bridging over Highway 401 to reach Commerce Boulevard on the other side, where it would run south to reach Eglinton Avenue and the east end of the Mississauga Transitway. The rest of the line would run east along Eglinton Avenue, including a portion along which the previously-proposed Eglinton West subway line would have been built. The line would then cut across the city, intersecting every subway and RT line, with the exception of the Sheppard line.

There were 43 stops planned for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, 13 of which would be underground.^[4] Surface stops would be spaced on average 500 metres (550 yd) apart and the underground stations would be 850m apart on average, as constructing numerous underground stops would be costly. The average speed would be 28 kilometres per hour (17 mph),^[5] compared with the existing bus routes along Eglinton that have an average speed of 16 to 18 km/h (9.9 to 11.2 mph).^[6] The line would terminate at Kennedy Station to the east in Scarborough where it would meet the Bloor–Danforth subway, the proposed Scarborough Malvern LRT and the Stouffville GO train line. The expected cost was $4.6 billion.^[7] As a result of provincial funding cuts, construction of the line was divided into two phases: Phase One would end at Jane Street, and Phase Two would terminate as originally planned at Pearson Airport.

Miller's successor, Rob Ford, announced the cancellation of Transit City on December 1, 2010, the day he took office.^[8] The redesigned Eglinton–Scarborough Crosstown line along with a Sheppard line extension was announced four months later, with the support of Metrolinx and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.^[9] The redesigned line would put the 19-kilometre Eglinton portion completely underground, integrate the Scarborough RT portion, and run contiguously from Black Creek to McCowan. The cost would almost double to $8.2 billion and 18 fewer stops would be built. Most of the additional cost comes from putting 12 additional stations underground and for converting the Scarborough RT.

On February 8, 2012, in a special meeting, City Council, led by Karen Stintz, voted 25–18 to override Mayor Ford's modifications to the project.^[10] The vote reinstated the 2009 "Transit City" proposal originally approved by council and the province, with the eastern portion of the line running from Laird to Kennedy on the surface and the western surface section running from Black Creek Drive to Keele Street.^[10] On November 30, 2012, the environmental assessment was revised, such that the east tunnel portal location would be moved from east of Brentciffe to east of Don Mills,^[11] however this was reversed in May 2013 after receiving community feedback.^[12] In January 2013, Toronto City Councillors from Scarborough put forward an alternative plan to build the Eglinton portion of the LRT as planned, but to exclude the RT right of way from the line. In July 2013, plans to combine the Scarborough LRT (the current Scarborough RT) with the Eglinton Crosstown Line were abandoned altogether.^[13][14]

Construction

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT will run for 25.2 km (15.7 mi) from Black Creek Drive to Kennedy Station. Under the plan endorsed by Mayor Ford, 19.5 km (12.1 mi) the line would have been underground and 5.7 km (3.5 mi) elevated.^[15] The line will run underground for 10 km before rising to the surface east of Brentcliffe Avenue.^[16] There will be up to 26 stations, with an estimated 100 million trips annually in 2031.^[17] The Presto card will be available for use across the line. The first part of tunnel construction involves the construction of a launch shaft for tunnel boring machines (TBMs) at Black Creek Drive, which began on October 2011. Metrolinx ordered four TBMs at a cost of $54 million on July 28, 2010.^[18] These TBMs were expected to commence midtown tunnelling in mid-2012.^[19] However, the start was delayed to June 2013. The average excavation rate for a single machine is 75 metres (246 ft) a week of lined tunnel.

On November 9, 2011, in Keelesdale Park, Mayor Rob Ford and then-Premier Dalton McGuinty officially broke ground on the new project.^[20] In addition, tunnel boring machines have arrived on February 22, 2013 in Keelesdale Park.^[21] They are named Dennis, Lea, Humber, and Don. The names were chosen by Jason Paris, a moderator of the Urban Toronto blog and forums. Dennis is named after Mount Dennis, Lea is named after Leaside, Humber is named after the Humber River, and Don is named after the Don River. The names Dennis and Lea combined allude to the poet Dennis Lee.^[22][23]

In January 2013, Infrastructure Ontario issued a request for qualifications to shortlist companies to construct the line. A request for proposal is expected in the summer of 2013.^[24] Construction on the line began in June 2013.^[25]

Route

Stations

The following is the list of stops proposed as of 2013:^[26]

See also

• List of world's most expensive transport infrastructure (as one of the most expensive rapid transit lines in the world not fully grade-separated)
• Politics of light rail in North America (see Canada section)
• Toronto streetcar system
• Toronto subway and RT
• Eglinton West line

References

External links

• Official Crosstown project website
• TTC's Crosstown project website
• TTC's LRT projects website
• City of Toronto's Crosstown project website

v t e Transit City Key people Proponents David Miller Adam Giambrone Karen Stintz Gary Webster Opponents Rob Ford Doug Ford Projects Sheppard East LRT Etobicoke-Finch West LRT Eglinton Crosstown LRT Jane LRT Don Mills LRT Waterfront West LRT Scarborough Malvern LRT Related MoveOntario 2020 Scarborough RT The Big Move

v t e Toronto Transit Commission Buses Blue Night Network Fleet Routes Wheel-Trans York University Busway Rapid transit  1  Yonge–University–Spadina  2  Bloor–Danforth  3  Scarborough RT  4  Sheppard  5  Eglinton  6  Sheppard East  7  Finch West Rolling stock Stations Signals Streetcar 501 Queen 502 Downtowner 503 Kingston Rd 504 King 505 Dundas 506 Carlton 508 Lake Shore 509 Harbourfront 510 Spadina 511 Bathurst 512 St. Clair Cherry Street Queens Quay East Rolling stock Loops Facilities Arrow Road Bus Garage Birchmount Bus Garage Davisville Subway Yard Eglinton Bus Garage Greenwood Subway Yard Hillcrest Complex Lakeshore Bus Garage Leslie Barns Malvern Bus Garage McCowan RT Yard Mount Dennis Bus Garage Queensway Bus Garage Roncesvalles Carhouse Russell Carhouse Toronto Coach Terminal Vincent Subway Yard Wilson Bus Garage and Subway Yard William McBrien Building History Williams Omnibus Bus Line Toronto Street Railway Toronto Suburban Railway Toronto Railway Company Toronto Civic Railways Toronto Transportation Commission Toronto Island Ferry Gray Coach Queen line Network 2011 Downtown Relief Line 1995 Russell Hill subway accident Eglinton West line 2006 wildcat strike 2008 strike Transit City Special Constable Services Miscellaneous Accessibility Communications and Information System Fares Metrolinx Obay Personnel Toronto Subway font Italics indicate a proposed route or project under construction