Key takeaways:
- Mayor John Tory said the city and province would “do better” than they did with the Eglinton Crosstown project to support impacted businesses.
- According to him, the project will close the Queen and Yonge Street intersection in the heart of the downtown core for years.
- The project’s capital costs are expected to be $10.9 billion, and the province has stated that the new transit line will be operational by 2030.
When it comes to the “unprecedented” disruption caused by the construction of the Ontario Line, Mayor John Tory said the city and province would “do better” to support impacted businesses than they did with the Eglinton Crosstown project.
During the official groundbreaking for the nearly 16-kilometer subway line, Tory made the remarks alongside Premier Doug Ford, Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, as well as federal Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra at Exhibition Place.
Tory expressed his concern about the disruption to local businesses by saying, “It is a subject of huge concern to me.”
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According to him, the project will close the intersection of Queen and Yonge streets in the heart of the downtown core for years.
“We’re going to work with those businesses, Metrolinx, and the Ontario government to make sure they get some help,” Tory said.
Tory acknowledged the hardships businesses faced along Eglinton Avenue due to the LRT construction and promised to “do better” when it comes to treating businesses along the Ontario Line.
“I believe the first thing we’ve done is to be honest with people that disruption will be. And currently, all we have to do is build it.”
Ford said public consultation with businesses would continue during the construction process.
“We’ve talked to business owners down the line, and we’ll be there to help them,” Ford said.
The 15-stop subway line is predicted to run from Exhibition Place to the Ontario Science Centre, passing through the downtown core.
The project’s capital costs are estimated to be $10.9 billion, and the province has previously stated that the new transit line will be operational by 2030. Phil Verster, the president and CEO of Metrolinx, just wouldn’t confirm if the subway line’s opening projected date is still the same when speaking to reporters on Sunday.
“Governments of all stripes have talked about the need for new subways in the GTA for decades,” Ford said.
“Finally, it was our government that completed the task. We’re putting shovels in the ground today.”
According to Ford, the subway line will generate $11 billion in economic benefits for the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area and significantly reduce congestion on the current subway system.
“We want to see the overcrowding of subway stations and subway cars end,” Ford said.
Source: CTV news
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