RC107 JulyAugust2023 - Magazine - Page 10
When it comes to suburban commuters,
Verster said he believes that the TTC has a
“phenomenal” network of buses and with
the investments made for projects such as the
Finch West LRT and the Eglinton Crosstown
LRT, the situation will continue to improve.
He also pointed to what he describes as the
“total revolution” of the GO Transit network
as an example of encouraging behaviour and
attitude changes through providing more
frequent GO service.
“We can take the capacity on the GO
lines up to a ridership level that’s three
times the level it is today. A lot of capacity
on our network is limited in one directional
travel and this investment would give
more capacity and I think this is the type of
systematic investment that’ll change how
people travel. The concept today is very
much to traveling to the center of downtown
Toronto. In the next 10 to 15 years, we’ll be
in a place where people in Burlington are
traveling towards Hamilton, as an example.”
Providing better service to those outside
of the city proper is the goal of Metrolinx’s
subway expansion program as well, said
Verster.
“Our subway program, which is four
significant extensions including the
The launch shaft where tunnel boring machines Rexy and Renny started their tunnelling
Ontario Line, the Young North Subway
journey for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
Extension, as well as Eglinton Crosstown,
and the Scarborough Subway Extension,
“The semantics here are very simple. Big contracts have
are phenomenally important to just create that extended
risk transfers in it and if you ask someone to build better
network. And when you look at Eglinton Crosstown
fixed price, they take all the risks. And working through a
as it’s getting finalized now and you look at the
development phase with a market rather than demanding
developments along Eglinton, it is just game changing.
a fixed price allows for more learning and more solutions
I’m also excited about the Hamilton LRT project, which
that are better for the contracting chain but also better for
will transform Hamilton as well and the extent of
taxpayers,” said Verster.
investment around the Hamilton corridor where the line
Verster was also asked about Metrolinx’s important
is going to run.
relationship with the TTC and other Greater Golden
“What’s so important about these transit systems is
Horseshoe transit agencies.
that they are truly transformational.”
“What binds quite a lot of people from the transit
Over the past few years Metrolinx has been shifting
agencies is a service ethic around passengers, customers,
from fixed price contracting to target price contracting,
riders with whatever terminology you want to apply.
culminating in the recently signed procurement
Whether it’s relationships that contracting entities
agreement for the Union Station Enhancement Project
have with owner entities such as [Metrolinx], whether
(USEP) using the alliance model—an innovative
it’s relationships with our First Nations, whether it’s
procurement and delivery method recognized for
relationships with communities themselves, all of these
delivering successful initiatives in Australia over the past
relationships are really crucial.”
20 years. USEP is the first major project in Canada to be
He added that sometimes the bigger picture can get
procured using this model.
lost when everyone spends so much time looking at
mistakes that are made.
“Things do go wrong at times, but we forget about the
overall bigger prize of the many things we do that that are
going right. We are consistently delivering, and we are consistently heading in the right direction. And as I said earlier,
one of the things we have within our organization is humility. Look, we are respectful, we are humble. I’m very humble
about the mandate we’ve got, but if it was going to be easy,
it would’ve been done. So, we do accept that it’s challenging
but that’s largely what make it enjoyable as well.”
“But the best way to develop big complex transit
systems is to do it on an ongoing basis and I think
that’s really important. That’ll make a big difference.”
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