Mayor Ford has requested that the TTC develop a new transit plan consistent with his platform. Work on a new plan is underway. For more info on the current plan see the Metrolinx website at http://www.metrolinx.com This is an external site and will open in a new window.

July 30, 2010

Tunnel boring machine

Toronto - Mayor David Miller and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone visited the Lovat Inc. manufacturing facility today in recognition of the job creation and local economic development resulting from the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project. 
 
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT was approved and funded as a 33-kilometre long rapid transit project located on Eglinton Avenue that would connect Kennedy Station to Pearson Airport. It includes a 10-kilometre underground tunnel in the central section. Construction on a 19-kilometre project connecting Jane to Kennedy, including underground tunneling, will begin in 2011. 
 
The province has purchased four tunnel boring machines (TBM) from Lovat Inc. of Toronto. Each TBM will burrow a six metre underground tunnel which will be located in the central section of the route and comprised of 12 subsurface stations.  

“This marks a significant step forward in the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the largest and most complex project in the Transit City plan,” said Mayor Miller. “Once completed, this line will provide reliable and rapid public transit to Torontonians and is an indication of the City of Toronto’s commitment to city-building, social justice and prosperity.”

“This important transit project is a crucial investment in public transit and will be a critical part of our infrastructure, eventually linking the entire city to the airport," said TTC Chair Adam Giambrone. "The Transit City project will reduce road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions while efficiently linking people to places of employment, education and entertainment. This is truly a step forward towards building an even greater city."

The new light rail line will be fully integrated into the current TTC transit system and will be built on Eglinton Avenue in a dedicated right of way running from the Kennedy Station to Laird Drive.  The LRT will then enter a portal to an underground tunnel, servicing 12 underground stations, connecting with the Yonge Subway at Eglinton Station and the Spadina Subway at Eglinton West Station. The LRT will surface at Black Creek Drive and continue west to Jane Street. A planned Phase Two of the project will extend the LRT 14-kilometres west through Etobicoke to Pearson Airport. 

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT is part of the Transit City initiative to expand rapid transit to all neighbourhoods throughout Toronto. This new LRT will fully or partially replace 12 bus routes that serve the Eglinton corridor, this will increase transit speed and reliability, as well as decrease commute times for TTC passengers. Based on ridership projections, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is expected to carry 54 million passengers annually by 2031. 
 
More information on the Transit City Light Rail Plan and all eight LRT projects, please visit www.transitcity.ca.