A city councillor and an MPP are calling on the provincial government to offer free rides on opening day on the soon-to-be-opened Finch West LRT. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt hasn\u2019t been an easy road for the people along Finch and I think they deserve something special on day one, something to help them celebrate and thank them for their patience,\u201d Humber River Black Creek MPP Tom Rakocevic said during Question Period at Queen\u2019s Park Thursday.<\/p>\n
The NDP MPP called on the government to work with the City of Toronto to ensure that rides on the Finch West LRT are free on opening day. <\/p>\n
In a letter to Premier Doug Ford<\/a> posted online Wednesday, Ward 7 Coun. Anthony Perruzza said he is grateful for the new line, which has \u201ctransformed this part of Finch Ave West into a wonderful urban avenue.\u201d <\/p>\n He said it would be a \u201ca wonderful gesture\u201d if the government made rides free on opening day given local residents and businesses \u201chave endured 7 years of construction hell.\u201d<\/p>\n Perruzza noted the federal government covered the cost of rides<\/a> on opening day for the TTC\u2019s Spadina subway extension to Vaughan when it opened back in 2017. <\/p>\n During Question Period Wednesday, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria did not directly respond to Rakocevic\u2019s request, but pointed out the Ford government is financing operating costs for transit in Toronto through its new deal with the city, which saw the province upload the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway. <\/p>\n \u201cAs part of the Toronto-Ontario new deal, we are covering operating expenses for the Finch West LRT. That was a commitment we made as a government,\u201d Sarkaria said. <\/p>\n