During the recent election campaign, Premier Ford said he’s confident that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will finally open in 2025. Years late, mega-digging, noise and disruption.
Surely the Crosstown must be opening soon? And surely, after all the problems we’ve lived through, the LRT will make public transit more accessible, more available, and more convenient than it is now?
But what if it doesn’t?
Currently there are numerous bus routes on Eglinton Avenue, providing frequent service. But once the Crosstown is in business, this may not continue. We will still need surface transit to make public transit convenient – to get us to where we need to go, because the Leaside and Laird LRT stations are located far apart, not within comfortable walking distance of each other for many transit users.
When you emerge from one of them, and still need to get to points in between (say, Rumsey Road to Northlea Elementary and Middle School), how much bus service will be available along Eglinton to get you there? How long will you have to wait for a bus on Eglinton that makes local stops? There’s also less safety when there’s only infrequent bus service, especially at night. Never mind the negative impacts on local businesses.
Ever since the Crosstown LRT project was first announced, the Leaside Residents Association has been concerned that “those in charge” might be tempted to reduce or even eliminate buses along Eglinton as an economy measure, supposing these would no longer be needed. We continue to have more questions than answers.
Notice the new signage recently installed at local bus stops referring to unexplained changes coming along Eglinton and Laird. Let the TTC and City Council know that you have questions and concerns. Let’s do what we can to ensure that the LRT will not make it harder to use public transit in Leaside.
Some good news
I do have some GOOD transit news to share with you.
Leaside Life readers will recall my recent columns regarding problematic South Leaside 88 bus route diversions proposed by the TTC to deal with the temporary closing of Beth Nealson Drive for up to 24 months, during work on the Ontario Line.
Thorncliffe Park’s Jason Ash (and 2025 Agnes Macphail recipient!) and I proposed a third option to the two original diversion routes designed by the TTC, and asked Ward 15 Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin for her support. We are very encouraged to note that the just-released TTC 2025 Annual Service Plan, “Enhancing Connections,” states that “Pending resource availability, the TTC is also exploring a hybrid option.…This route would provide a direct connection from Thorncliffe Park to Laird station, schools in the Leaside area, the Leaside branch of the Toronto Public Library and to the commercial areas along the northern section of Laird and within the Leaside Business Park.”
The LRA thanks our Councillor for her assistance and the TTC board for its willingness to consider our option!
The LRA board of directors meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. These are public meetings, and you are welcome to join us and join in. Our next meeting, on March 5, will be on Zoom. For contact information and more details and updates, visit: leasideresidents.ca and press the Contact Us button, or leasideresidents.ca/contact-us.
