The new head of Ontario’s beleaguered transit agency says he plans to “start talking” to construction partners and government stakeholders as he tries to finally open the Eglinton LRT after more than a decade of construction.
On Monday, Infrastructure Ontario CEO Michael Lindsay was appointed as the head of the provincial transit agency Metrolinx to replace the departing Phil Verster.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Lindsay’s top priority was to open the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which began construction in 2011 and was initially due to be finished in 2020.
“I’m honoured to have been asked by the premier and the minister of transportation to go over and provide temporary leadership to Metrolinx,” Lindsay said on Tuesday, speaking for the first time since his appointment.
“I will do everything I can, in partnership with government, to bring that project online as quickly as possible.”
Lindsay indicated he would immediately start conversations designed to help him succeed where Verster had failed and allow the premier to finally cut the ribbon on the Eglinton project.
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“I’m going to start talking to partners and government and I’m going to talk to the staff at Metrolinx,” Lindsay said.
“IO and Metrolinx have obviously been partnered quite closely in respect of major capital procurements and the management of the construction of these LRT projects. So I certainly don’t start from zero. But I think this is a moment, intentionally, of trying to think, with fresh eyes, what could we do in order to hasten the delivery of these projects?”
Lindsay was announced on Monday as the replacement for outgoing Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, who is leaving the role by mid-December to take another job elsewhere.
Opposition parties at Queen’s Park had long called for Verster to be fired over construction delays at Metrolinx, particularly the Eglinton line. The government, particularly Premier Doug Ford, had defended him.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said Lindsay had been a “great partner for the government” during his time leading Infrastructure Ontario and suggested he was a good fit for Metrolinx.
“I think he has a lot to offer and I think the province will be well served with his leadership there over the next couple of months and to ensure we get our transit projects built and underway,” he told Global News.
“Our mandate to him has been very clear: to get the Crosstown open,” Sarkaria said. “And so I look forward to him transitioning into the role, taking over the files and working on that priority along with the $70 billion we’re investing over the next 10 years.”
On Wednesday, the Green Party leader said heads should roll at Metrolinx under the new CEO and implored him to be transparent.
“They could get rid of all the vice-presidents that are making lots of money as well — it feels like they have a reporting structure that doesn’t work,” he said.
“I would say to the new president, if you’re going to gain (the) confidence of people you need to come out now and be honest with the people of Ontario: why the Eglinton Crosstown has been delayed, why it is so far over budget. Stop hiding behind secrecy and just be honest with people.”
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