The proclaimed takeover of the yet to be built LRT lines by the Ontario planning agency known as Metrolinx has lasted barely a week. Today at TTC headquarters Ontario Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli and TTC chairman Karen Stintz met to announce the reversal of the Metrolinx decision. TTC officials expressed outrage when it was announced that a private company would be hired to run the four light rail transit (LRT) lines. But under the plan unveiled today the TTC will operate all the lines and Metrolinx will find someone else to maintain them. So your Eginton LRT — love it or fear it — will be a TTC system just like the rest of the transit services in Toronto. It would be rich to know what kind of ambition, revenge or just plain pig-headed pride was driving all this. There is plenty of these qualities on both sides. Did the Premier have to make the decision to reverse Metrolinx in its tracks? We may never know.
