Metrolinx versus TTC: a public-private partnership for the Eglinton Crosstown?

The Toronto Star reports that Metrolinx is considering snubbing the TTC on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, opting instead for a public-private model to build and operate the $8.2 billion project that wouldn’t involve the city’s transit authority. Apparently, if Metrolinx does go the private partnership route, it will create the biggest public transit project in the province, one that’s administered by Infrastructure Ontario (the government agency that handles alternative financing and procurements). And, according to the Star, the TTC isn’t interested in that approach. Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli says the model would ensure that cash for Ford’s beloved Sheppard subway extension doesn’t disappear into the Eglinton line—so you can guess how the mayor feels about the idea. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »