TTC budget suggests Toronto's long-overdue LRT lines will finally open this summer

The proposed 2025 operating budget released by the TTC Board on Tuesday gives Toronto transitgoers a number of improvements to look forward to in the year ahead, from a 5.8 per cent increase in service hours across the network to an extended freeze on fares.

Beyond these highlights, there is other huge, potentially far more exciting news for residents buried in the 100-page document: the fact that the commission is expecting both the delay-plagued Eglinton Crosstown LRT and Finch West LRT lines to launch this summer.

The $2.8 billion budget identifies "opening Line 5 Eglinton and Line 6 Finch West, as well as implementing changes to the bus network to connect customers to these lines" as a key objective of 2025, with millions in operating costs for these routes earmarked for July and August, respectively.

"To improve service reliability and address changes in customer demand, the 2025 Operating Budget includes 9.6 million service hours. These additional hours will help alleviate congestion, support service growth, improve service frequency across all modes and prepare for the planned launch of Line 5 (July) and Line 6 (August)," the Board writes.

"For budget planning purposes, Line 5 and Line 6 costs reflect July and August 2025 revenue service dates, respectively. The actual opening dates are pending confirmation from Metrolinx."

TTC Chair hints which month Toronto's overdue LRT lines may openhttps://t.co/xiY7mWxqxu

— blogTO (@blogTO) December 4, 2024

TTC Chair Jamaal Myers revealed in early December that the agency would be delaying the phase-out of legacy fares to June 2025, six months later than initially planned.

This amended deadline made the most sense, Myers said while answering media questions on the topic, because June 1 is "the earliest possible opening date for Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown and Line 6 Finch," and "those lines have no fare collection support for the old fare media."

Seeing as Metrolinx has vowed to stay mum on a debut date for at least the Crosstown until three months beforehand to avoid further disappointing the public with further hold-ups, these projections from the TTC will not likely be officially verified until spring.

On the new budget more generally, advocacy group TTCriders said in a release "we applaid Mayor Olivia Chow and TTC Chair Jamaal Myers for freezing fares and investing in subway maintenance and more frequent streetcar, subway and bus service," adding that it feels "The TTC needs stable operating funding from upper levels of government to invest in frequent, reliable, and affordable transit."