So it seems that since the OC Transpo Strike, the LRT debate has died down in Ottawa. While the City of Ottawa allows the LRT debate to come to a streaking halt, Toronto has left Ottawa in its dust. Two recent developments have occurred in Toronto that should put Ottawa’s Mayor and the City Council to shame. Queens Park has announced that the provincial share of the Eglinton LRT would be a go.
This means that a LRT line would run from the East end of Toronto’s mid-town all the way to Pearson International Airport on the West end (32.5 KM). The central part of the line linking to the Yonge Subway and University Subway lines for 13 KM will be underground, while the rest will run on its own right-of-way.
Bombardier Flexity - LRT Vehicle-candidate for the Toronto LRT
The second major development in Toronto will be the selection of LRT vehicles to be used for the entire Transit City line including the Eglinton LRT. While Provincial funding for the Ottawa LRT has not been guarenteed, the City Council and the Mayor really needs to take a more active role lobbying Senior levels of Government for funding. In addition, Council needs to start selling the idea of the LRT to gain more broad public support. Toronto’s City Council launched the Transit City Plan as a marketing strategy to gain greater public enthusiasm. This strategy also worked in attracting attention to the project from Senior Levels of Government, which partially explains the Provincial funding announcement.
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