The top of Metrolinx is acknowledging the provincial transit company has spent an excessive amount of time embroiled in authorized battles with its contractors, pledging a brand new strategy after lastly ending the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
The sunshine rail route carried its first passengers on Feb. 8, roughly six years after it was initially scheduled to open, bringing to a conclusion a messy interval of Metrolinx’s historical past marked by delays, price overruns and authorized skirmishes.
The consortium constructing the Crosstown, Crosslinx Transit Options, took the federal government to court docket over delays throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and once more over how the TTC had concerned itself in testing for the road.
The group behind the Finch West LRT additionally took Metrolinx to court docket over how the TTC was concerned in testing the road. In the meantime, the consortium at the moment engaged on the Hurontario LRT discovered itself concerned in authorized battles with its subcontractors.
On Thursday, Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay stated one of many key classes from the Eglinton Crosstown LRT was to work extra collaboratively with the development corporations — and solely head to court docket as a final resort.
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“It’s a part of the rationale we have now a extra progressive type of contracting now, the place we’re sitting investing with the non-public sector companion in design, figuring out constructability points,” he instructed reporters. “That’s in all probability a very powerful factor to keep away from downstream claims.”
Lindsay changed former Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster final yr, shifting from one other Crown company, Infrastructure Ontario.
“We now have to all the time do not forget that our main goal is to deliver these transit traces into being versus sitting on our rights, insisting on a authorized technique,” he added.
“That’s the factor that we are attempting to do as we present up in these initiatives. And to the credit score of our non-public companions, I feel they’re attempting to do the identical.”
The teachings will probably be examined in actual time for Lindsay, with a number of main transit initiatives nonetheless within the floor.
The Scarborough Subway Extension is at the moment midway by tunnelling, whereas a western extension to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT can be being constructed. Stations are being hollowed out underground for the Ontario Line, and work can be going down to increase the Yonge Road subway into Markham.
Lindsay insisted that avoiding authorized claims wouldn’t end result within the authorities or Metrolinx rolling over to the calls for of builders, prompting price overruns.
“We’re by no means being disrespectful of taxpayer cash,” he stated. “There’s a steadiness right here that must be struck between insisting upon the efficiency that we have now contracted for and coping with unknown points once they come up.”
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