Ford 'frustrated' by Eglinton Crosstown woes

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Owners of businesses along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT aren’t the only ones frustrated by delays in completing the project, Premier Doug Ford says.

Shops and other storefront enterprises along Eglinton Ave. have been vocal in their complaints after Metrolinx announced recently that the transit line won’t open as planned this fall after 10 years of construction.

“This is frustrating. I’m frustrated. (Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney is) frustrated,” Ford said Thursday. “We inherited this project … from the previous Liberal government that just boondoggled it.”

The Eglinton Crosstown, launched by the Liberal government of former premier Dalton McGuinty in 2011, is a 19-kilometre light rail transit line with 25 stations running along Eglinton Ave. between a Kennedy station in the east and Mount Dennis station in the west.

It was to have been completed by 2020.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said everyone is disappointed with the delay in completing the project, but she did not provide a new opening date.

“Our priority is to make sure that it opens safely as soon as possible,” Mulroney said.

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Ford, who has been Premier since 2018, said his government is learning from the mistakes made on the Eglinton Crosstown by the previous government.

Ford’s own government is planning to launch more major transit projects including the Ontario Line.

Some critics have called for a public inquiry into the Eglinton Crosstown before ground is broken on any other major line.

aartuso@postmedia.com