The head of the Ontario government’s regional transit agency says its move to put two Toronto-area subway projects under review is “business as usual,” rejecting concerns it could lead to construction delays.In an interview Tuesday, Phil Verster, president and CEO of Metrolinx, said his agency appointing an expert panel to examine alternatives to current designs for the Scarborough and Yonge North subway extensions was standard practice for large transit projects. Verster said the goal of the panel is to determine “the most innovative way to achieve schedule and budget” for the extensions, and his agency is determined to avoid any holdups in expanding the region’s transit network.“This is not anything else but the prudent and urgent clarification of scope to make sure we can get on and deliver as quickly as possible,” he said. Metrolinx is the provincial Crown corporation in charge of transportation planning in the GTHA. The two subway projects are key elements of the $28.5-billion transit plan the Ontario Progressive Conservative government unveiled in April. As the Star revealed Tuesday, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario have convened a 13-member panel made up primarily of private sector experts “to perform an independent review of TTC plans” for the two multibillion-dollar subway projects. According to a confidential document outlining its mandate, the panel may “evaluate potential alternatives” to existing designs, including the possibility of adding or removing stations, building portions of the lines above ground, or changing their routes. News of the review prompted concern from critics at Queen’s Park and city hall, who warned changing plans at this stage will only set back construction. In a statement, Ontario NDP deputy leader Sara Singh called the panel “a recipe for delays.”“It will mean commuters will be waiting longer on packed subway platforms, and a ...
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