Phil Verster leaves top job at Metrolinx in Ontario, infrastructure boss to take over – Winnipeg Free Press

TORONTO – The president of Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency that has been a frequent target of criticism over the failure to open the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT, is resigning after seven years on the job.

Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that Phil Verster has accepted a new position and will continue in his role effective December 16.

“I want to thank Phil for his many years of service to Ontario,” Ford wrote in a statement.

“Phil has led and supported explosive growth in public transportation construction, including the largest expansion of public transportation in North America. “Thanks to his contributions, the transportation environment in Ontario will be permanently better.”

The agency, and Verster in particular, has come under frequent fire over the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown project, which was expected to open in 2020. There is still no anticipated opening date for the railway line, which has been under construction since 2011.

Verster blamed the contractor for the delays, but critics have long called for Verster to be fired for failing to deliver the transit line.

Green Party deputy leader Aislinn Clancy said Verster’s departure was an “important first step” towards accountability.

“Decades of delays have impacted millions of residents and businesses who pay millions of dollars in taxes while LRT stations in Eglinton sit empty,” he wrote.