An LRT line along Eglinton Ave in Toronto is getting closer to changing from a proposal to a construction project. This one is extensive compared to the ongoing St. Clair project, including two significant undergound sections. A completed Eglinton LRT would be quite an achievement in Toronto, creating a much needed major east/west transit corridor across the north end of the City.

After watching the mess that has characterized the much smaller St. Clair project over the past couple years, I have to wonder if the politicians and the engineers have the ability to pull off a really big project like Eglinton. When we moved from the St. Clair and Caledonia area well over a year ago, the St. Clair project had already been dragging. I visited a friend up that way a few days ago and had to think carefully about finding a route that would allow me past the huge current construction tangle. The whole business has taken far too long and has been far too disruptive to that community. When they finish, a streetcar ride from the subway to Gunns loop will be 3 minutes quicker than before the construction. I wonder if anyone has tried making a calculation of the number of construction days per minute saved?

I think that to be successful with a gigantic super-ambitious project like the Eglinton LRT, more thought has to go into planning a disruption reduction strategy.  Local businesses have to be given greater consideration and support from the city. Otherwise the Eglinton LRT just doesn’t make sense.