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First announced in April, 2019, the Provincial Government's proposed Ontario Line—a 15.5 kilometre rapid transit line connecting Toronto's Exhibition/Ontario Place to the Ontario Science Centre—took a big step forward today with the announcement that the province is issuing the first two public-private partnership (P3) Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for the design/build stage of the line. The RFQ phase invites bids to design, build and maintain the line, which is set to have 15 stations, including 17 multi-modal connections to GO Transit, existing TTC subway stations, streetcar lines, and the Crosstown LRT line that opens in 2022.
The first two of three RFQs cover the line's rolling stock systems, an operations and maintenance contract for the full route, and a design-build-finance contract for the southern portion of the Ontario Line. Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx will evaluate these initial RFQ submissions and shortlist teams to be invited to respond to the subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) process this coming fall. "By issuing these first RFQs we are one step closer to realizing our transit vision and helping to generate economic activity and create tens of thousands of jobs as the province recovers from COVID-19," reads a statement issued by Caroline Mulroney, Ontario Minister of Transportation.
A third RFQ for the northern section is planned to be issued once a proponent for the southern section is selected. Some segments not covered by these three P3 agreements, such as the stretch through Riverdale which is to share the rail corridor with GO Transit. These are to be procured separately and are expected to begin construction before sections planned under the trio of P3 agreements.
While provincial funding and P3 partnerships will cover much of the funding needed to make the line happen by its projected fast-tracked 2027 opening, the province is calling for additional support from the federal government. "Investments in infrastructure projects, like the Ontario Line, will be essential for getting people back to work and improving the quality of life for people throughout the GTA," reads a statement from Kinga Surma, Associate Minister of Transportation (GTA). "To build projects of this magnitude, however, we need everyone at the table. We are calling on the federal government to commit to paying their fair share, at least 40 per cent of the four nationally-significant subway projects."
The planned line has been moving forward in steps since first announced 14 months ago. Major steps in the last several months have included a 2019 negotiation between the Province and City being accepted by City Council, endorsing support for the line in exchange for an agreement preventing a provincial upload of the TTC. The agreement was formalized in a February, 2020 preliminary Toronto-Ontario Transit Partnership Agreement to fund and build rapid transit projects in Toronto. Also this past February, the province proposed new legislation that would cut various restrictions as a means to expedite the planning, design, and construction process of transit projects including the Ontario line. Despite these measures, a new report in the Toronto Star citing a senior government source claims that the project is unlikely to meet its projected 2027 completion.
You can share your thoughts using the comment section below, or by visiting our dedicated Forum thread for the Ontario Line.
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