It's a deal. During its meeting of Tuesday, October 29, Toronto City Council voted to join with the Government of Ontario to move forward with funding and building transit in Toronto.

Council directed the City Manager (the City's chief administrative officer) to "negotiate, enter into and execute an agreement" with the Ontario Government on future transit projects for Toronto. Council approved City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission staff working with their provincial colleagues to advance the Ontario Line, extend the Line 1 Yonge – University subway further north into York Region, extend the Line 2 Bloor-Danforth subway by three-stops further into Scarborough and build the Eglinton West light rail transit (LRT) line.

Early plans for the Ontario Line, image, Metrolinx

UrbanToronto has already detailed the plan in an earlier article, but, key elements of the arrangement include:

  • the City retains ownership of the subway network;
  • TTC retains operations of the transit network;
  • the Province—with the help of the Government of Canada—funds almost $30 billion in transit expansion projects;
  • the City's $5 billion—the funding that would have been Toronto's required share of expansion funds—supports state-of-good repair projects for the transit system and other City priority transit projects, such as the Eglinton East LRT and Waterfront transit;
  • the Province and the City agree to work together to build the four projects as quickly as possible;
  • the Province is covering costs that the City has incurred planning transit before the agreement; the Province is covering any cost overruns of its four priority projects; and
  • the Province and City commit to work together as partners to address local issues near the four projects to protect neighbourhoods and listen to residents and their concerns

In a City news release, Mayor John Tory said, "This is a deal that is good for our city and one that is consistent with the direction given by City Council a year ago when we were faced with a very challenging situation. As a Mayor who was elected to finally get on with building transit and who was elected on a promise to work with the other governments, I believe this is our very best way forward."

However, Councillor Josh Matlow stated, "While the proposed new transit deal with the Province of Ontario reduces the City’s capital burden for new transit, the plan itself does not provide good value for the available funds. To demonstrate the absurdity of the plan, for the same cost that the province is paying to bury the Eglinton West Crosstown Extension and the Scarborough subway, against the advice of transit experts, the province could buy a small condo and a car for every new rider the lines would generate."

Early plans for the Line 1 extension into York Region, image, TTC

By twitter, Councillor Mike Layton said, "Now onto debate on 3rd transit plan of Mayor Tory’s tenure as mayor. Debated 3 plans under Mayor Ford. Seems like only transit actually getting built is Mayor Miller’s plan. Good thing he only had one." He added, "The Ontario government has given Toronto a false choice on transit. They are telling us to stop current transit expansion plans, accept years of delay on new Scarborough transit and accept a plan with limited information. The alternative—don’t get anything."

Council endorsed re-allocating some of its federal funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program Public Transit Infrastructure Fund Phase 2, including:

  • as much as $0.660 billion for the Province's proposed three-stop Line 2 East extension; and
  • as much as $3.151 billion for the Province's proposed Ontario Line.

Council also directed the City Manager to work with the Provincial and Federal governments to develop a long-term plan for dedicated and stable funding to support ongoing transit operations, state-of-good repair and expansion projects.

City staff must also engage with provincial transit agency Metrolinx through the next stages of detailed design and the transit project assessment process to reduce the potential local impacts of the four new transit lines, particularly particular focussing on the above-ground sections of the Ontario Line. Staff must also work with Metrolinx to consider options for building more of the Ontario Line underground, where they can't "reasonably manage local impact."

Councillor Mike Layton moved, and Council carried his motion, that City staff askMetrolinx to ensure that transit-oriented development near future stations prioritizes inclusionary zoning and affordable housing requirements.

Council carried Councillor Paula Fletcher's motion that staff immediately study the impact on road operations of significantly expanding the rail bridges at Eastern Avenue, Queen Street East, Dundas Street East, Logan Avenue, Carlaw Avenue and Gerrard Street East to safely accommodate six tracks and rail-bed. (The bridges are all in the area she represents, Ward 14.) Fletcher also moved that they forward the information gathered during this study to Metrolinx so that the provincial transit agency can consider it during the transit project assessment process.

Map of most recent plans for the Line 2 extension, image, City of Toronto, TTC

Fletcher also moved that Council direct the City-owned development agency, Create Toronto, to determine the impact on future development opportunities and land value if Metrolinx builds the underground portals of the Ontario Line on the Riverdale Plaza site—on the northwest corner of Gerrard Street East and Carlaw Avenue—near the future Gerrard Station.

At Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong's urging, Council agreed to instruct the City Manager to confirm the City's position that capacity and reliability improvements on Line 1 remain a top priority for future capital investment.

Layton tweeted, "Lots of unknowns with the new transit expansion plan (what will get build, where, how and will it ever?), but one thing is clear—relief at Yonge/Bloor and south is needed before ANY expansion of line 1 north."

Minnan-Wong's motion also asked the TTC to proactively monitor and review platform congestion and safety at all major interchange stations, and in particular Eglinton Station, after the Crosstown LRT is operating.

Other Councillors moved, and Council approved their motions, that:

  • the in-service date for the Ontario Line be before the in-service date of the Line 1 extension; (Councillor John Filion)
  • Council "affirm its support for the maintenance of new and existing lines to be done by the integrated and professional workforce at the Toronto Transit Commission." (Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam)
  • Council ask the Provincial and Federal Governments to strongly consider extending the TTC's Line 4 Sheppard subway to connect with the Line 2 extension at McCowan Road. (Councillor Jim Karygiannis)
  • the TTC ensure that it has enough buses available if its Line 3 Scarborough rapid transit trains fail earlier than the opening date of the Line 2 extension, and that this does not impact other services it provides. (Councillor Layton)

The City approved this plan for the Eglinton West LRT in 2017. Ontario proposes burying part of the line, image, City of Toronto

In his twitter feed, Ben Spurr, the Toronto Star's transportation reporter, quoted Councillor Gord Perks, who called the plan the "worst transit deal that has ever been put in front of this council." Spurr wryly added, "Surely there is stiff competition."

Council approved going ahead with the plan by a vote of 22 to 3, with only Councillors Matlow, Perks and Wong-Tam opposing the plan.

It's a deal, but, is this really "the worst transit deal" or is it as, Mayor Tory claims, "a deal that is good for our city?" Torontonians won't know the answer to that question for another 20 years.

What do you think of the plan? Add your comments in the form below, or join the discussion in our various dedicated Forum threads:

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