Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

[W. K. Lis]

It's Doors Open not Open Doors.

Semantics aside they are all still considered construction sites and likely not safe for public use.

If they were safe enough for public use the line would open rather imminently.

(Ouch. My wrist hurts. Corrected.)

The public was allowed into the Mt. Dennis storage facility back during 2019.

 

[T3G]

I never understood the logic of opening future transit stations for doors open. It didn't make sense in 2017, and it doesn't make sense now. At length, the stations will be open to the public and thousands of people will pass through them every day. Doesn't that go against the whole point of Doors Open? The event is supposed to show off interesting facilities the average joe doesn't, and won't, have regular access to.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I never understood the logic of opening future transit stations for doors open. It didn't make sense in 2017, and it doesn't make sense now. At length, the stations will be open to the public and thousands of people will pass through them every day. Doesn't that go against the whole point of Doors Open? The event is supposed to show off interesting facilities the average joe doesn't, and won't, have regular access to.

We get "previews" of new homes before occupancy. Even stores and restaurants have "soft opening" before the "official opening".

 

[T3G]

That's nice, but again, that goes against the spirit of Doors Open. There's nothing special or interesting about opening a soon to be public station ahead of time so people can look around. If Metrolinx wants to show off their new toys, they can do so at any time.

Look at any TTC facility, or any industrial facility like Billy Bishop Airport, RC Harris, or the Port Lands Energy Centre, facilities the public will never have access to, to understand what the point of Doors Open is.

 

[Steve X]

Clearly ML sucks as it never involved the TTC when they created the project specs. Crosslinx sucks too as they can't build properly.

 

[CapitalSeven]

That's nice, but again, that goes against the spirit of Doors Open. There's nothing special or interesting about opening a soon to be public station ahead of time so people can look around. If Metrolinx wants to show off their new toys, they can do so at any time.

Look at any TTC facility, or any industrial facility like Billy Bishop Airport, RC Harris, or the Port Lands Energy Centre, facilities the public will never have access to, to understand what the point of Doors Open is.

I'm afraid you've misunderstood the goals of the program. There is no such criterion. Any site can participate if people might be interested in visiting it in a way that is not normally available, free of charge.

 

[T3G]

I didn't misunderstand anything, there's a difference between the official criteria and why people actually attend the program. I already indicated in a previous post that I was aware of the Spadina subway extension stations being opened in 2017.

St. Clair West is a nice looking station, my favourite on the system, but it currently costs money to enter and tripods are not permitted. If they opened St. Clair West for Doors Open and permitted tripods, that doesn't mean it would be as interesting to most people as a facility that public access will never be granted. New stations are very low hanging fruit for Doors Open and I'm sure I'm not the only one that is glad that more interesting selections prevailed.

 

[youngblood]

The Star is out with a big article on the state of the Crosstown, having been given a tour of about 1/4 of the line by Crosslinx.

‘This is the kind of project that threatens companies.’ An exclusive first look inside the Eglinton LRT as Crosslinx breaks silence on what’s gone wrong

‘We really do get how frustrated everybody is with this thing’: Days after the consortium building the LRT sued the provincial agencies in charge, the Star is given an exclusive tour of the fraught transit line.

www.thestar.com

Its behind the paywall, but all know how to address that now!

Lots of photos and some tidbits. There's also a video as well.

I will pull just a couple as teasers, for the rest, follow the link.

View attachment 478734
Credit: Toronto Star

View attachment 478735
Credit: Toronto Star

Now for some substance:

Eglinton Station should be structurally wrapped up below grade by mid-summer; but the roads and sidewalks won't be full restored in the area until November.

Eglinton, Kennedy and Cedarvale stations are all suffering from significant leaking, solutions have been proposed, I'm unclear if they've been accepted.

Crosslinx is sticked at Mx, in part, because there is still no operating agreement in place with the TTC. The real issue here seems to be that as the TTC inspects the project before assuming operations
they are 'ordering' changes to bring it up to their standard; a standard different that the one Crosslinx says was in the project spec.

Example given is that the vehicles for the Crosstown don't properly interface w/the TTC's radio network, so the TTC wants changes. The project spec apparently didn't require such interoperability and Crosslinx doesn't want to pay the bill
to make changes.

Comment: This is the problem with having Mx and I/O involved in writing an agreement for which they lack the requisite technical experience and staff. Whatever process one chooses to use for tendering, the end-use operator needs to be involved at the design and contract language stages.

Crosslinx is also looking for Mx to release 300M it is holding back due to non-performance.

So according to the EllisDon CEO, the construction should be completed this year. Testing and commissioning can be completed this year if ML/TTC play ball. The issue is can the parties stop fighting in order to get the job done.

 

[nfitz]

So according to the EllisDon CEO, the construction should be completed this year. Testing and commissioning can be completed this year if ML/TTC play ball. The issue is can the parties stop fighting in order to get the job done.

Play ball by ignoring contract requirements and resting.

 

[Admiral Beez]

It's Doors Open not Open Doors.

Just mind the gap. The accountability gap, I mean.

 

[Steve X]

So according to the EllisDon CEO, the construction should be completed this year. Testing and commissioning can be completed this year if ML/TTC play ball. The issue is can the parties stop fighting in order to get the job done.

If you are willing to pay for all the changes, sure. Clearly they didn't communicate at the beginning and someone decided to go ahead with something that is incompatible. This whole fight is who is going to pay not lets all pull money out of their own pockets and get it done.

 

[youngblood]

From the article it sounds like the following are true:

- There is no contractual relationship between Crosslinx and the TTC
- The Project Agreement’s specs dont align / are not perfectly compatiable with the TTCs operational requirements

So someone on both sides missed a pretty big gap in the contracts, but I don’t see how this falls on Crosslinx. If they build the line to what is specified in the agreements (yes I know they haven’t completed their side of the deal as well) then they should be paid. It will the Ontario taxpayer who has to pay for the change orders to meet TTCs requirements.

That’s how I see it at least based on the public info in the article.

 

[generalcanada]

From the article it sounds like the following are true:

- There is no contractual relationship between Crosslinx and the TTC
- The Project Agreement’s specs dont align / are not perfectly compatiable with the TTCs operational requirements

So someone on both sides missed a pretty big gap in the contracts, but I don’t see how this falls on Crosslinx. If they build the line to what is specified in the agreements (yes I know they haven’t completed their side of the deal as well) then they should be paid. It will the Ontario taxpayer who has to pay for the change orders to meet TTCs requirements.

That’s how I see it at least based on the public info in the article.

yup. Even the ttc admits this:

A TTC spokesperson declined to comment for this story, and previously said “discussions to finalize (operating) agreements are ongoing” with Metrolinx

So without an agreement on what exactly their role is, they can say whatever the hell they want.

oh and that "credible plan"

What’s less certain is how, or when, the issues between Crosslinx and Metrolinx will be resolved. Metrolinx has repeatedly said Crosslinx lacks a “credible plan” for completing the project — which Smith said Crosslinx can’t create until it has clarity over which TTC demands it’s expected to adhere to, and crucially, how it will pay for the work required to meet them. For example, Gifford said, the TTC would like to see a higher connectivity between the Crosstown’s vehicles and the TTC’s radio network.

basically until the ttc issue is solved, no plan with that part missing is credible.

 

[Undead]

 

[wopchop]

So according to the EllisDon CEO, the construction should be completed this year. Testing and commissioning can be completed this year if ML/TTC play ball. The issue is can the parties stop fighting in order to get the job done.

Assuming Ellisdon is telling the complete truth, of course. We all know general contractors never lie or stretch the truth, after all.