Angry Mortgage Doomed Transit Projects? | EP. 137
Sep 2, 2025
J.P. Boutros, Principal at Citius Consultants and a seasoned expert in transit projects, shares his insights on the disarray of Ontario's transit systems. He reveals shocking inefficiencies in key projects like the Crosstown LRT, critiquing the disconnect between political promises and practical execution. The conversation dives into the challenges of aging infrastructure and the complexities of urban transit management, all while highlighting the dire need for accountability and realistic planning. Laughs intermingle with frustrations as he navigates the chaos of civic transit projects.
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Inside City Hall Transit Work
- J.P. Boutros described joining Toronto City Hall in 2010 to advise the TTC during Rob Ford's mayoralty.
- He worked on political coordination, fare policy and early future-transit planning while observing city-level dysfunction.
Density Explains Transit Success
- J.P. explains dense, single-region cities like Tokyo can run transit smoothly because population and density concentrate demand.
- He contrasts that with Canadian metros where diffuse stakeholders and commuters dilute consensus and complicate projects.
Crosstown As A Failure Template
- The Eglinton Crosstown LRT became a textbook example of project failure due to poor initial choices and political momentum.
- Building mixed-solution LRTs that try to act like subways creates complexity, cost and delay.