5 things Toronto was supposed to get by 2015 but didn't

Oh, what a city Toronto might have been by now if major infrastructure projects were completed on time. Rush hour service on the subway would be immaculate, there'd be an LRT along Finch Ave. West, and Union Station would be a world class transportation hub. Alas, for all our optimism, none of these projects have been completed by their initial target dates.

Here are 5 things Toronto was supposed to get by 2015 but didn't.

Spadina Subway Extension
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Spadina Subway Extension (PDF) took place in 2009, but as seems always to be the case with major infrastructure projects, the initial completion date was pushed back after numerous delays. The original target was December 2015, which was then altered to autumn 2016 before yet another year was added to the project.

Union Station Renovations
When work commenced on the Union Station revitalization, the initial completion date was pegged at 2015, but numerous delays have pushed the target back to 2017 at the earliest. Fortunately, we got a peek at what it'll look like when finished via the already-opened York GO Concourse.

Finch West LRT
Part of former mayor David Miller's Transit City project, the Finch West LRT was once scheduled to open in 2013. When Rob Ford took office back in 2010, he immediately cancelled plans for the line. When city council eventually restored the project, the completion date was pushed back to 2018. It's now projected to open in 2020. Think about that the next time you're riding the Finch bus.

A fleet of new streetcars
There should be over 65 new low-floor streetcars on Toronto's rails by now, but production problems at Bombardier have resulted in a mere 10 being delivered to the TTC. As a consequence, the TTC is suing the manufacturer for the delayed deliveries.

A new subway signal system
It's not the sexiest infrastructure project but the replacement of the TTC's dated subway signal system will improve the efficiency of rush hour service, which will have a significant impact on commuters' lives. When the TTC started the project, it estimated a completion date in 2012. This was then pushed back to 2016. The current target is 2020. Yikes.

Photo by Ilia Alshanetsky in the blogTO Flickr pool.

by Derek Flack via blogTO