Eglinton LRT set to unlock economic and social benefits​on March 27, 2025 at 9:24 pm

Toronto Councillor Michael Thompson is keeping his fingers crossed that the long-overdue Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be operational later this year.

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Earlier reports suggests that the opening of the light rail line, built by Metrolinx and run by the TTC, is expected to be somewhere between June and September.

“I do hope and do think that we’re on track,” Thompson said. “The information that I received recently, some of the issues that have caused the delay which is the overall workmanship or work of the contractors … wasn’t acceptable. My understanding is a lot of that has been done or it’s being finalized.”

The Eglinton Crosstown, also known as Line 5 Eglinton, began construction in 2011 and was expected to be in service by 2020, However, delays have repeatedly pushed back its opening.

The transit line will service 25 stations and stops between Kennedy Station in the east and Mount Dennis Station in the west. It will link to 54 bus routes, three TTC subway stations, three GO Transit lines, and UP Express.

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The Scarborough Centre councillor says the new route, when it does open, is a big win not only for the city but also Scarborough.

“Even before the transit itself is operational, there is a lot of work that’s actually being done about development,” Thompson said.

He pointed to a company that is expected to construct more housing at Pharmacy Ave., one of the stops along the route.

“The development … would not have occurred at this juncture had it not been for the … decision to build the Crosstown, to improve transit,” he said, estimating that 50,000 to 60,000 new residents are expected to live along the east end of the line.

The councillor also expects businesses will pop up along the route as well as new schools and community services.

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“It’s a huge win for the community, it’s a huge impact for development and growth, and also the convenience of having easier access to transit to go to work, go to visit family, go to visit friends, go to the doctors and go wherever you wish to go in a much easier manner.”

Councillor Josh Matlow, whose Toronto-St. Paul’s ward contains eight of the stops, said rapid transit along Eglinton Ave. has been a dream for years, but the construction and delays has been a “nightmare” along the route.

“The construction delays by Metrolinx over many years has been catastrophic to many businesses,” Matlow said. “Some have struggled, some have even closed.”

However, once the line is opened, the councillor said the LRT will improve the lives of people in many ways.

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“To have a rapid transit line on Eglinton, which will make Eglinton a street that will be easy to navigate, easy to get around on for more people across the city … means that it’ll be easier for people to visit those businesses and go shopping on Eglinton.”

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He said the TTC will no longer need buses along the route and fewer people will feel the need to drive, which will relieve congestion and gridlock.

And the transit line would also attract businesses and companies to set up shop in the city.

“The more functional our city is, and the better quality of life we have, the more attractive we are when we are competing with other cities around the world for headquarters of various companies and to attract employees,” Matlow said.

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“If Toronto continues having the reputation as a city that you can’t get around in because it is always caught in gridlock, that impacts us. The Eglinton line, along with other promised transit expansion projects, is vital for our quality of life but also our city’s success as a whole.”

Don Valley West Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin said the new rapid transit option will provide a vital link between local communities and businesses along Eglinton as well as a connection to the TTC’s subway lines.

“Transit is the backbone of prosperous cities around the world,” Chernos Lin said in an emailed statement. “The Eglinton Crosstown LRT will give residents of Don Valley West another option to travel around our city, helping to ease congestion and reduce emissions.”

However, Chernos Lin said capacity issues on the Yonge-University Line 1 subway also needs to be addressed.

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