Toronto's Waterfront East LRT finally gets $3B funding after years of delays
Toronto's Waterfront East LRT finally gets $3B funding after years of delays
Toronto's Waterfront East LRT finally gets $3B funding after years of delays
Toronto's Waterfront East LRT has secured full funding after years of delays. The federal, provincial, and municipal governments will each contribute $1 billion to the $3 billion project. Leaders announced the deal at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Premier Doug Ford, and Mayor Olivia Chow in attendance.
The long-awaited line will connect Union Station to the Port Lands, serving over 150,000 people once complete. It is also expected to unlock the development of 75,000 new homes in the area. Plans for the Waterfront East LRT have been in place for years, but progress stalled without funding commitments from Queen's Park and Ottawa. The line will run through fast-growing neighbourhoods like East Bayfront and the Port Lands, where demand for transit has risen sharply.
Preparation work has already begun to speed up construction. Waterfront Toronto included a dedicated transit right-of-way in its planning and built a bridge on Cherry Street to support the route. These steps will help reduce delays once building starts.
Construction is set to begin in 2026, with the project lasting between five and seven years. Early work in 2026–2027 will focus on site preparation and relocating utilities. Track laying will take place from 2028 to 2030, followed by station construction and system testing in 2031–2032. The city aims to finish the line in the early 2030s.
Once fully operational, the LRT is projected to carry around 50,000 daily riders. The Port Lands and Quayside areas, still under development, will rely heavily on the new connection. However, the federal and provincial governments have made clear they will not cover any additional costs beyond the agreed $3 billion budget. The Waterfront East LRT will improve transit access for thousands of residents and workers in Toronto's eastern waterfront. With funding now secured, the city can move forward with construction, targeting completion by the early 2030s. The line's arrival is also expected to accelerate housing development in the area.