[Chris R.]

I think this thread is an example that there is a stigma against history and arts degrees. Myself I have a polysci degree, which was invaluable to my life, but I do wish I'd double majored in something more useful.

My honest and blunt opinion is arts degrees are good if you're smart, but science degrees are probably better if you're smart. If you're not as smart, then an arts degree will be a waste, because it requires more work after the degree and a way to separate you from the pack.

 

[thenorth]

I’d argue that an organization like Metrolinx is exactly what you get when a society proiritizes financially rewarding lawyers and finance bros over engineers and technicians. You get an organization with 150 VPs that are very good at drafting contracts, but not so good at building infrastructure.

I have zero faith in the current government to get anything done right, but I hope the next government utterly guts Metrolinx, and turns it into an engineering-first organization.

 

[hw621]

I’d argue that an organization like Metrolinx is exactly what you get when a society proiritizes financially rewarding lawyers and finance bros over engineers and technicians. You get an organization with 150 VPs that are very good at drafting contracts, but not so good at building infrastructure.

I have zero faith in the current government to get anything done right, but I hope the next government utterly guts Metrolinx, and turns it into an engineering-first organization.

Very good at drafting contracts? I doubt that...

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

Very good at drafting contracts? I doubt that...

There's a reason why Metrolinx is in the top ten of client revenue in at least three of the Bay Street law firms I've worked at, mostly for litigation.

Source: over-educated twit with English, Poli Sci, and Information Studies degrees (BAs and MIS/MA).

 

[hw621]

There's a reason why Metrolinx is in the top ten of client revenue in at least three of the Bay Street law firms I've worked at, mostly for litigation.

Source: over-educated twit with English, Poli Sci, and Information Studies degrees (BAs and MIS/MA).

Y'all wonder why it is so expensive to build anything here...

 

[cplchanb]

I’d argue that an organization like Metrolinx is exactly what you get when a society proiritizes financially rewarding lawyers and finance bros over engineers and technicians. You get an organization with 150 VPs that are very good at drafting contracts, but not so good at building infrastructure.

I have zero faith in the current government to get anything done right, but I hope the next government utterly guts Metrolinx, and turns it into an engineering-first organization.

A certain company based in Everett comes to mind... they also started as a reputable entity but over the years cost cutting and incompetence crept in and now they cant even deliver their product almost a decade after promising it

 

[nfitz]

A certain company based in Everett comes to mind... they also started as a reputable entity but over the years cost cutting and incompetence crept in and now they cant even deliver their product almost a decade after promising it

Moving some production lines to second-world, non-union, right-to-work states was also a factor.

 

[PL1]

The

A certain company based in Everett comes to mind... they also started as a reputable entity but over the years cost cutting and incompetence crept in and now they cant even deliver their product almost a decade after promising it

There is a joke that Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas, but McDonnell Douglas took over Boeing. It went from engineering to penny-pinching.

 

[PShells]

The

There is a joke that Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas, but McDonnell Douglas took over Boeing. It went from engineering to penny-pinching.

I'm going to commit the cardinal sin of extrapolating experience in one field to a generalization in all fields.

I work in finance. The best leadership teams I've worked for are often mediocre investors but great leaders who create a culture that enable risk takers to deploy capital. On the flip side, some of the best investors I've worked with that have been promoted to management have been disastrous. Managing people, cultivating a successful culture etc. are rarely the same skills that are used by a top quartile SME/individual contributor (at least in my field...and I'm projecting my experience onto other fields).

A good leadership team focuses on surrounding themselves with good people that they trust. The leadership team at Metrolinx doesn't need to be stacked with engineers, but they do need to be good leaders who support their best engineers, project managers, internal counsel....even accountants to keep projects on budget etc.

In happier news, the CWZ on the GO portion of the East Harbour LSE corridor is shrinking. Jersey barriers have been removed near Gerrard Square following the completion of grading (and noise walls to poke fun). The legacy third track remains removed in the area, while the new fourth track to be used as a temporary siding continues to expand from the TTC's Greenwood yard area to Woodbine Ave bridge. The following notice suggests the April 11-12 weekend closure will be used to install a switch in the area.

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Images/Metrolinx/InteractiveMaps/260306_Trackwork_DanforthSiding.pdf

 

[Coolibop]

Update on the Scarborough durham BRT from a local councillors newsletter on the Pickering segments (roughly Whites Rd to Brock Rd):

The Region of Durham has confirmed that the tendering process for the Kingston Road BRT segment from Steeple Hill to Merritton Road is underway, with construction expected to commence in July 2026 and be completed by the end of 2028.

The Region will tender the next segment, from Dixie Road to Bainbridge Drive, which is expected to begin construction in August/September 2026 and be completed by fall 2029.

The Dixie Road to Bainbridge Drive segment of the project will directly affect the Brock Road and Kingston Road intersection and vicinity, and may add to the traffic pressures already anticipated from the MTO’s Brock Road-Highway 401 overpass work and the Brock Road and Bayly Street intersection improvements.

 

[urbanclient]

When was this tendered? And has anything been signed yet? "with construction expected to commence in July 2026 and be completed by the end of 2028."

That's less than 4 months away, are we sure construction will start on time?

 

[PShells]

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Images/Metrolinx/BiWeekly_In-Corridor_Update_LSE-03-20-2026.pdf

Installing the third and fourth track through the East Harbour/LSE corridor is to begin soon. Not that this track will be in service anytime soon given the track shifts needed for platform construction at East Habour, but it’s nice to see steady incremental progress.