Spadina subway extension to Vaughan could face delay again

YorkRegion.com
Feb. 3, 2015
By Adam Martin-Robbins

The Toronto Transit Commission has signalled that the Spadina subway extension could be delayed once again, but it will likely be late March before it’s known exactly how much longer you’ll have to wait to ride the rocket from Vaughan into Toronto.

Two reports - examining budget challenges and scheduling issues, among other things - are slated to be presented to the transit agency’s board of directors March 26, according to TTC spokesman Brad Ross.

In a separate report, presented to the board Jan. 21, TTC CEO Andy Byford notes that of the six new subway stations being built as part of the extension, three - York University, Steeles West (also known as Pioneer Village) and Hwy. 407 - are behind schedule.

Of those, Steeles West “poses the most serious schedule challenge to the overall project schedule".

Byford’s report goes on to note the “Vaughan Metropolitan Station schedule faltered around October last year (2013) until April this year (2014) with indications of improvement starting in late April.”

If the opening date is pushed back, it will be the second time the $2.5-billion project has been delayed.

The extension from Downsview Station to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre was originally supposed to be up and running later this year.

But in late 2012, the TTC said that transit riders would have to wait until the fall of 2016.

The project has suffered setbacks almost since work began in 2010.

Subway construction started 16 months late due to funding issues and the schedule was never adjusted to account for that, according to Byford.

Other difficulties ranged from an unusually harsh winter last year to tunnelling issues under York University.

In 2011, 24-year-old construction worker Kyle Knox was killed at the York University site, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour investigation suspended some work there into 2012.

There have also been issues with some contractors not meeting their deadlines, especially at the Steeles West, York and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre stations.

That prompted to Byford to bring in an American Public Transportation Association peer review panel to assess the schedule and budget challenges and to “make recommendations to mitigate these challenges".

He also retained consulting firm Bechtel Ltd. to “conduct a thorough, in-depth analysis” of the project.

The findings of the panel and consulting firm were to be completed by the end of January.