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During a marathon four-day meeting, Toronto City Council cleaned its plate of all left-over items on its menu before breaking for the summer and the upcoming municipal election. This last get-together of the current council was also the last one for at least five of the 25 councillors, maybe more, promising a number of fresh faces when the group convenes again post-election.
Here are transit and transportation highlights of the meeting.
Metrolinx / TTC agreement on the Eglinton Line 5
Council approved the terms of an agreement between the TTC and provincial transit agency Metrolinx on funding and operating the coming rapid tranist line and gave the go-ahead to finalize negotiations. The TTC will be responsible for operating Eglinton Line 5, including driving the train sets and daily maintenance. It will also be responsible for providing replacement buses during any event that disrupts service along the line.
The City will fund the operating and "non-lifecycle" maintenance costs of the line. That "non-lifecycle" term refers to day-to-day work "to meet service standards, including custodial, preventative, and corrective activities." The TTC will also receive all fare revenue from riders along the line.
Metrolinx will continue to own the physical assets, including tracks, wiring, and stations. It will be responsible for major maintenance; for example, projects to repair, alter, or upgrade those assets. It will also retain control over negotiating with developers about any future transit-oriented communities that the developers may propose to build in station areas, including any physical connections to the stations.
Opposing Metrolinx's proposal for a train layover facility in the Don Valley
Council directed City staff to ask Metrolinx to "undertake due diligence" on alternate locations for the proposed Don Valley GO Transit train-layover facility. It wants to make Ontario's Minister of the Environment "officially aware" of the danger to this ravine parkland by the siting of the proposed layover and tracks. It also wants to make the Government of Canada aware of the impact of this proposed layover and tracks to the Wonscotonach parklands and Don Valley ravine and request the federal government to review its financial contribution to the project.
Temporary road closures for the Scarborough Subway projects
Council approved temporarily closing several streets in the area of the Scarborough Centre Station on the Bloor - Danforth Line 2 extension to facilitate construction of the future subway. The temporary closures continue during various times between 2024 and 2030. The City plans to demolish the bridge that currently carries traffic on Progress Avenue over McCowan Road and build a regular street-level intersection where the two streets meet.
Council also agreed to a number of other temporary lane closures on McCowan and Danforth roads where Metrolinx proposes to build emergency exits from the subway.
Amending the City's Official Plan to include Major Station Planning Areas
Council endorsed staff recommendations amend its Official Plan to delineate major transit station planning areas (MTSAs). According the a staff report, the City must update the plan to include the 141 potential MTSAs across the City. The City's Growth Plan "requires that MTSAs are delineated to "maximize the size of the area and number of potential transit users that are within walking distance of the station". The Official Plan must prioritize planning the MTSAs in a manner that implements the Growth Plan (including directing growth, protecting natural heritage, and supporting Transit Oriented Development)."
• 200 residents and jobs per hectare for subways;
• 160 residents and jobs per hectare for light rail transit; and
• 150 residents and jobs per hectare for GO Transit rail."
Broadview Avenue extension
Council endorsed staff's preferred design for extending the street between Eastern Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard to serve as the "signature civic spine" and primary local transit corridor in the future East Harbour transit-oriented development. The street design will include a dedicated right of way for streetcars and will also connect with future East Harbour transit stations for GO Transit and Ontario Line trains.
Expanding the City's cycling network
Council approved revising several major streets to improve the City's cycling network, by adding new cycling tracks or revising tracks that are already in place on City streets. The changes affect:
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Don Mills Road north and south of its south intersection with Gateway Boulevard;
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Gateway Boulevard east of its south intersection with Don Mills Road;
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Gerrard Street East between Sherbourne and Blackburn streets;
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Martin Grove Road between Eglinton Avenue West and south of Nottinghill Gate / Winterton Drive;
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Martin Grove Road north and south of Burnhamthorpe Road; and
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Overlea Boulevard between west of its east intersection with Thorncliffe Park Drive and Don Mills Road.
Yorkdale Transportation Master Plan
Council approved a plan to upgrade the transportation network for the area around the Yorkdale Shopping Centre to accommodate future development on the mall's property and on nearby Dufferin Street. The plan includes new roadways and pedestrian / cycling bridges across GO Transit's Barrie rail corridor between Rustic Road and Cartwright Avenue, and Highway 401 between Yorkdale Road and Billy Bishop Way.
The plan encourages two-way transit service through the Yorkdale property and expansion of the Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal. It also supports earlier plans for transit priority lanes on Dufferin Street.
In the longer-term, the plan foresees the City extending Caledonia Road northwards under Highway 401 to Wilson Avenue.
New fund to support small business during transit construction
Metrolinx has been financially supporting businesses and business improvement areas along the Eglinton Line 5 corridor to cushion the financial impact from continuous construction. Council approved receiving more funding from the provincial agency to further support the business. It also agreed to establish a new grant program that would continue to support small businesses in other areas where transit construction has or will impact their financial bottom lines.
Expropriating parts of 2 Bloor Street East for TTC station expansion project
Council authorized City staff to negotiate with the landowner of 2 Bloor Street East to acquire part of the property to expand the TTC's Bloor-Yonge interchange station as part of the Bloor-Yonge Capacity Improvement Project.
A new TTC bus garage
Council gave the go-ahead to the TTC to negotiate with the landowner for a specific property where the transit agency proposes to build its tenth bus garage. The location remains confidential until the TTC and the owner have reached an agreement.
Extending the Sheppard subway westward
Finally, Council supported a motion by Councillor James Pasternak to request the Province of Ontario and Metrolinx to advance the planning of extending the TTC's Sheppard Line 4 subway between Sheppard-Yonge and Sheppard West stations, and to report back by the second quarter of 2023 on the steps the City must take to move this vital infrastructure project forward.
The Councillor's motion noted that in the past 10 years, Council has adopted numerous motions supporting the completion of the subway line. Most motions ask the TTC and City staff to report on steps needed to achieve that goal. On March 31, 2013 and March, 2012, City Council asked City staff to advance discussion of an environmental assessment for the construction of the subway link between Sheppard and Yonge and Sheppard West Stations. On May 7, 2013, City Council direction listed this subway line as a Toronto "priority" transit project. In July, 2016, City Council asked the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to include this subway construction project in the City's long term transit network plan. In May, 2017, City Council directed City staff to prepare a cost-benefit analysis of the constructing the Sheppard subway extensions.
In 2018, Metrolinx included the extension in its 2041 Regional Transportation Plan.
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What do you think of Council's action on these various initiatives? Add your comments in the space below, or join the discussion through these threads on our Forum:
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Bloor - Yonge Station capacity enhancement here;
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Crosstown LRT here;
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East Harbour here;
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GO Transit construction projects here;
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Ontario Line here;
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Scarborough Subway extension here; and
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Yorkdale intensification here.
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