Item - 2008.PW14.6

The Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the General Manager, Transportation Services recommend that:

1.         City Council endorse the Preferred Alternative set out in this report and contained in the Environmental Study Report, to provide additional pedestrian facilities at-grade and below-grade on York Street between Union Station and Wellington Street to support Union Station revitalization.

2.         The Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division be authorized to issue a Notice of Completion and to file the Environmental Study Report for the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study (Schedule “C”) for a new northwest PATH connection (Union Station to Wellington Street) in the public record for 30 days in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment.

3.         City Council grant authority to the Chief Corporate Officer, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Acting Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to undertake discussions with other government agencies to pursue a tri-partite partnership of provincial, federal and municipalities and private sector stakeholders to secure commitments and related agreements to fund the construction and maintenance of a new Union Station northwest PATH pedestrian connection.

4.         The General Manager, Transportation Services report back during the 2009 Capital Budget process on the results of the funding discussions and 2009-2013 Capital Budget impact associated  with construction of a new northwest PATH pedestrian connection, as well as on the ownership of the facility and associated maintenance and security arrangements.

5.         The appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

A Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) study has been undertaken to develop, examine and evaluate a number of alternative solutions and designs in order to recommend a new northwest pedestrian connection between Union Station and the existing PATH pedestrian underground network in the vicinity of Wellington Street. The project is based on an overwhelming need to plan and prepare for significant increases in pedestrian demand within Union Station and its environs over the next 15 to 20 years and beyond.

The study has concluded that additional pedestrian facilities are needed to provide the capacity required to relieve congestion and support future downtown growth and pedestrian activities generated by GO Transit’s ongoing service expansion. The evaluation of a reasonable range of alternative solutions, which included consultation with the public, adjacent property owners and review agencies, resulted in the following preferred alternative:

a.         a new underground pedestrian tunnel situated primarily below the York Street right-of

-way. The new tunnel would start at the northwest corner of the Union Station property

and extend northerly to the existing underground PATH system at two locations – at the PATH level at 70 York Street and immediately south of the property located at 100 Wellington Street West; and

b.         an expanded and improved at-grade pedestrian realm on York Street, which is achieved

by reconfiguring the street to two travel lanes (one-way northbound) and allocating

additional space within the right-of way to wider sidewalks and other enhancements (e.g.,

tree planting, boulevard treatments and new surface connections to the proposed

pedestrian tunnel).

The preferred alternative has the benefit of:

a.         supporting current City Council direction and policy with respect to promoting public transit and other more sustainable modes of transportation as well as the goals and objectives of Union Station revitalization;

b.         providing expanded pedestrian capacity and effectively accommodating a range of pedestrian demands (more effective distribution and connectivity, weather protection and direct routing to demand areas northwest of Union Station);

c.         providing pedestrians with a safe and comfortable environment for commuting to and from Union Station;

d.         seeking to minimize potential disruptions and impacts to utilities, vehicular and transit operations; and

e.         maximizing public amenity opportunities and providing potential benefits to adjacent private properties.

GO Transit has indicated that the construction of the new northwest PATH pedestrian connection

will be critical to the phasing of their operational improvement program, including a key

component of station revitalization that includes opening of a new west GO (York Street)

concourse area in Union Station (targeted for 2012), and must move forward to design and

implementation on an urgent basis. GO Transit staff has indicated that they are prepared to

support a recommendation to fund a one-third share of the cost, as a Provincial contribution.

Given the need for these expanded pedestrian services is in large part, the result of GO Transit’s

improvement program to support downtown employment, a tri-partite partnership of provincial,

federal and municipalities should be pursued.

A notice of Study Completion must now be issued and the Environmental Study Report filed in

the public record for a 30-day review period in accordance with the requirements of the

Municipal Class Environmental Assessment.