By John Devine
Special to Ontario Construction News
Subway expansion in Toronto received a renewed green light this week, as both the City and the Province reiterated their support for four priority transit projects.
The two levels of government remain supportive of the Ontario Line, Line 2 East Extension, (three-stop expansion of Line 2 into Scarborough), Yonge North Subway Extension, and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
Both governments maintain they are absolutely committed to working together to expand transit in Toronto.
“People want us to get on with building new transit in Toronto and upgrade our existing transit system. Today, Council made important progress in our agreements with the Province of Ontario to accelerate four transit projects in our city. I look forward to continuing to work with City staff, councillors and the Government of Ontario to move these transit projects forward to benefit Toronto residents,” said Mayor John Tory.
Details of the four projects are:
- Ontario Line: The proposed Ontario Line will be a link to communities across Toronto. Plans call for 15 potential stations between Ontario Place and Ontario Science Centre, and potential links to GO Transit and TTC Lines 1 and 2.
- Line 2 East Extension: Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario are working together to deliver the Scarborough Subway Extension, a 7.8-kilometre extension of Line 2 from Kennedy Station to McCowan Road/Sheppard Avenue.
- Yonge North Subway Extension: The planned Yonge Subway Extension [YSE] is a cross-jurisdictional project from Toronto into Markham, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill. The YSE extends 7.4 kilometres north from Finch Station in Toronto to the Richmond Hill/Langstaff Gateway Urban Growth Centre at Highway 7.
- Eglinton Crosstown West Extension: The City of Toronto, Metrolinx, and the TTC, are looking to enhance and refine the plan for the LRT that was approved in 2010 as part of an earlier Environmental Assessment. Metrolinx is also leading work to determine the best route for the LRT from Commerce Boulevard to the future Regional Transit Centre (RTC) being planned at Pearson International Airport; working closely with its partners the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the City of Mississauga, the City of Toronto and the TTC.
Staff recommendations are detailed in the Toronto-Ontario Transit Partnership – Status Update report, an update on the negotiations of various agreements with the Province and information regarding the proposed acceleration measures that will enhance the Province’s ability to meet committed timelines for transit construction. The City and Province have completed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Transit Oriented Development. This MOU establishes a series of shared objectives and identifies the roles and responsibilities for the City and Province for these four priority transit projects.
“The City and Province remain committed to a cooperative and “collaboration first” approach to the exploration of opportunities to accelerate transit,” says the report.
It’s expected that a preliminary agreement with the Province formalizing a series of terms previously approved by Council, is expected to be completed by the end of March. The City continues to work with the Province on its proposed acceleration measures, and to explore opportunities to expedite the delivery of the transit projects.