Ontario Construction news staff writer
Metrolinx held a series of open houses to update “communities and future customers” on the progress of the Ontario Line subway project.
The line is being promoted as a service which “will connect the city like never before,” linking communities across Toronto.
“From east to west, north to south, from Ontario Place to the Ontario Science Centre, there’s never been a connection in the heart of the city like this one will be. Getting downtown from previously underserved areas will be a breeze, and there will be more trains arriving at stations more frequently. Think of it as downtown relief when you need it,” Metrolinx says.
The transit consortium wants to hear from future customers, in addition to holding information sessions.
“Opening a new subway route is an historic occasion for any city. It’s always been that way for generations, including when a train full of dignitaries and media took a twelve-minute subway ride from Eglinton station to Union station when the Toronto subway opened on March 30, 1954,” says Metrolinx.
“But before the first paying passenger steps on board, before commemorative images and now social media posts are shared, and before those lines become an everyday part of moving around a city, there’s a great deal of sharing and conversations that take place.”
Sessions began Thursday, Jan. 23, and continued through to Wednesday, Jan. 29. The line will service a corridor from Ontario Place to the Ontario Science Centre in North York.
“Getting out there into the community and having open, frank conversations is critical to the success of a major project like this,” said Malcolm MacKay, program sponsor for the Ontario Line. “The feedback we get from community members — whether in person or online — will help us make informed decisions as we move through all phases of the project. There will be many more conversations to come as we work together to give the people of this great city the comprehensive transit network they deserve.”
Planners say the Ontario Line will ease crowding on the TTC’s Line 1. It’s estimated that 389,000 daily boardings will take place along the nearly 16-kilometre route. Ongoing planning includes environmental studies and engineering work.