Scarborough students and residents urge Mayor, Premier to fund Eglinton East LRT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Scarborough students and residents urge Mayor, Premier to fund Eglinton East LRT 

April 9, 2018 (Toronto, ON) – Scarborough students and residents demanded funding for the Eglinton East LRT at an Executive Committee meeting on the future of Toronto’s transit plans. 

"We’re asking Mayor Tory and City Council to keep their promise to fund the Eglinton East LRT,” said Hana Syed, Vice President External of the Scarborough Campus Students' Union. “Scarborough students and residents can’t keep waiting for a rapid public transit network

“Premier Ford wants to leave Eglinton East off the map and tear up our city’s transit plans. Mayor Tory and City Council need to stand up for Scarborough and fund it now,” said Brenda Thompson / Jamaal Myers of Scarborough Transit Action. 

The Eglinton East LRT was left off the list of City of Toronto funding priorities in the report being voted on by the Executive Committee. The report recommends funding a single stop extension, which has risen to early $4 billion, leaving no funds for EELRT. In 2016, the Mayor assured Council that both the one-stop extension and EELRT could be built for $3.56 billion.

The provincial government left out the Eglinton East LRT in two recent letters about its transit plans, which announced the province’s intention to build a three-stop Scarborough subway extension and to deliver the Relief Line as a “free-standing” line using “alternate technology.” The province will launch its budget on April 11th.

“Premier Ford’s subway takeover will delay the transit we need,” said TTCriders spokesperson Shelagh Pizey-Allen. “Sending projects back to the drawing board is guaranteed to cost us more and delay new lines. A “free-standing” Relief Line sounds an awful lot like a privatized, Union Pearson Express-style line that most people won’t be able to afford.” 

A townhall to save the Eglinton East LRT has been organized for Wednesday April 10th at the Mid Scarborough Hub from 6pm-8:30pm, including the following speakers: Councillor Paul Ainslie, Councillor Jennifer McKelvie, Hana Syed (SCSU), Mimi Lau (Scarborough Community Renewal Organization).

 

CONTACT: 

Brenda Thompson,

Hana Syed,

Jamaal Myers, 

Dave Madder


Contact:
Jenna Scott

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