Item - 2016.EX16.17

The Executive Committee recommends:

1.  City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B, and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning in partnership with the Toronto Transit Commission and Waterfront Toronto, to initiate Phase 2 of the Waterfront Transit "Reset" for further development and costing of alignment concepts, detailed analysis of transit operations and ridership, identification of priority segments, as well as the creation of a Business Case and implementation strategy for delivering a coordinated waterfront transit solution.

2.  City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B, and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to report back on the results of Phase 2 of the Waterfront Transit "Reset" in the second quarter of 2017.

3.  City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B to submit for Council's consideration as part of the 2017 Budget process, a funding request to initiate a 30 percent preliminary design by the Toronto Transit Commission for the extension of streetcar service from the Exhibition Loop to the Dufferin Gate Loop, in accordance with the approved Environmental Assessment Modification Report (2008.PG17.10), and to be coordinated with plans to replace the Dufferin Street bridge over the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore West Rail Corridor.

At its meeting of November 3 and 4, 2015, City Council directed staff to work with the Toronto Transit Commission and Waterfront Toronto on a comprehensive review of waterfront transit initiatives and options (Item EX 9.9).  An external consultant, Steer Davies Gleave, was retained to assist staff with the review.  The study area is from Long Branch in the west to Woodbine Avenue in the east, and south of the Queensway/Queen Street.

The Waterfront Transit "Reset" was divided into two phases. Council approved funding for Phase 1 of the "reset" for the following work program items: review all relevant background material; create an overall study vision with related objectives; develop a preliminary list of improvement concepts; consult with the public and stakeholders; identify preferred concepts for further study; and develop a scope of work for Phase 2.

The completion of the Phase 1 work has reinforced the importance of a comprehensive waterfront transit solution from Long Branch to Woodbine Avenue, which has not been realized to date. This is supported by the public and stakeholders, by previous studies, and by recent trends in population and employment growth in the waterfront.

One of the first tasks in Phase 1 was to conduct a complete review of the history of waterfront transit planning since 1995.  It is clear from the review that transit planning has been incremental in terms of undertaking individual studies, although there have been some broader policy and network-focused efforts through the Official Plan, Official Plan Update (Feeling Congested?), and the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan.

A vision statement was developed early on in the study as a foundation for defining the future waterfront transit network. It also served as a reference point for discussions with the public and stakeholders. The vision is as follows:

To provide high quality transit that will integrate waterfront communities, jobs, and

destinations, and link the waterfront to the broader City and regional

transportation network.

This vision recognizes the wide variety of land uses that transit must serve, and the importance of considering the waterfront in the context of current and emerging transit initiatives in the City.  These major initiatives include SmartTrack, the Scarborough Rapid Transit Network, the Relief Line, and Metrolinx including the Regional Express Rail (RER), Electrification of the GO Transit Corridors, updated GO Station Assessment and the "The Big Move" Regional Transportation Plan update.   In terms of the overall City transit network, it is clear that there is a significant gap in the higher order transit network along the waterfront, and this gap coincides with areas of major future population and employment growth.

Following the vision for waterfront transit and a preliminary assessment of land use and travel patterns, the study area was divided into four distinct geographic segments. Within these four segments, a total of 25 initial transit improvement concepts were developed. Next, using City Planning's Feeling Congested? transit projects evaluation framework and considering public and stakeholder feedback, the 25 initial concepts were reduced to a list of 16 by the study team. The initial list of concepts and the shortened list that are the subject to further analysis in Phase 2 are all documented in this report.

Phase 1 of the Waterfront Transit "Reset" has identified three main findings/directions.

First, the importance of completing Phase 2 has been reaffirmed.  In particular, Phase 2 will focus on unresolved areas of the network with the potential to add significant transit network benefits: the East Bayfront and the extension of transit into the Port Lands, and the section from Legion Road and Lakeshore Boulevard to Exhibition Place. 

A preliminary Work Plan for Phase 2 of the Waterfront Transit "Reset"  is included in this report. To summarize, Phase 2 will include (with focus on the areas of the network identified above): further development of the preferred transit improvement concepts for the complete study area; transit modelling analysis; a more detailed comparative evaluation of alternatives; coordination and consultation with Metrolinx; identification of a preferred network solution, including functional plan drawings to a 5 percent level of detail and associated cost estimates; public and stakeholder consultation; and a Business Case to consider the potential strategic, economic, financial, deliverability and operational impacts of the proposed solution.

Phase 2 will conclude with recommendations for advancing a preferred waterfront transit solution through the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP). This will be done so that priority components can be planned and designed quickly, and be ready for implementation once funding becomes available.

The second key finding of the Waterfront Transit "Reset" is that there is an opportunity to move to preliminary design on extending the existing exclusive streetcar network from the Exhibition Loop to the Dufferin Gate Loop, through the northwest portion of Exhibition Place. It is recommended that Toronto Transit Commission staff initiate a 30 percent level of design for this EA-approved section of network, with funding to be identified through the 2017 capital budget process. Design work would be coordinated with the current plan to replace the Dufferin Street bridge connection across the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore West Rail Corridor.  The extension would have the following benefits: 1) increased transportation network connectivity and flexibility; 2) improved transit service to the Liberty Employment Area and Exhibition Place; and, 3) potential relief of transit congestion on the 504 King Streetcar, and other Toronto Transit Commission routes.

The third key direction of the "reset" is to support the Toronto Transit Commission's transit service improvements that support the waterfront network vision.  This extensive list of improvements is documented in the report, but some of the highlights include: 1) 188 Kipling Express bus service, implemented in early 2016, between the Kipling Subway station and Lake Shore Boulevard West; 2 ) a revision to the 72 PAPE bus route, implemented in June 2016, that has restored a connection with Union Station, and provides new service to Queens Quay East; and, 3) restoration of continuous service on the 501 Queen Streetcar, timing subject to delivery and rollout of the new LRV's, eliminating transfers at the Humber Loop.

In conclusion, the Phase 1 work described in this report is an important step forward in the realization of a comprehensive transit network vision for the waterfront. This vision, along with the transit improvement concepts that would achieve it, were generally well received by the public and stakeholders. There is an overall public expectation that completing the work and implementing solutions will be a key priority for the City, the Toronto Transit Commission and Waterfront Toronto.

In view of these findings, staff recommend that City Council approve funding to complete Phase 2 of the Waterfront Transit "Reset" and authorize staff to begin 30 percent design for the extension of the exclusive streetcar network from the Exhibition Loop to the Dufferin Gate Loop.