Item - 2016.EX16.18

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council recognize the Province of Ontario's June 14, 2016 announcement to initiate the planning and technical analysis to build a new freight corridor that will by-pass the Bramalea to Georgetown section of the Kitchener GO corridor (The Missing Link), and direct the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to participate in further discussions with Metrolinx, other municipalities, levels of government and transportation agencies to consider this plan, and request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to report back with an update on the Missing Link initiative within 12 months, or sooner if progress necessitates such action.

2.  City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Cluster B and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning  to continue negotiations with Metrolinx to secure a new multi-modal GO Station at Bloor Street, a Community Improvement Plan for the study mitigation area, a multi-use path and connection south to the West Toronto Railpath, a design solution and mitigation strategy for the rail corridor intersection at Dupont Street, and to participate in the project Community Advisory Committee.

At its meeting of December 9 and 10, 2015, City Council, in considering item PG8.13, "Davenport Community Rail-Rail Grade Separation", directed the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, to report in early 2016 on the "Missing Link" initiative and its merits as a key element of the freight rail network serving the City and the GTA.  City Council also opposed the Davenport overpass grade separation in favour of a tunnel option, and requested that Metrolinx reconsider this option.  Despite City objections Metrolinx launched the formal Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) for the overpass option in January 2016 and the Notice of Completion for the project was issued May 26, 2016.

At this juncture, there is little opportunity to request reconsideration of the project recommendation for an overpass.  The Minister for the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) may only require further consideration or conditions where a matter is of provincial importance in relation to the natural environment or cultural or heritage values, or where a constitutionally protected aboriginal interest is involved.  The Minister’s response to this project is anticipated August 2nd of this year.  In light of Metrolinx's decision to undertake the overpass option, and with no formal options to object, City staff are prepared to continue discussions with Metrolinx, the local community and elected officials to address the outstanding issues of concern.

On June 14, 2016 the Province of Ontario announced its plans to expand GO Transit rail service to the Waterloo Region.  The Province, through its agency Metrolinx, secured an agreement-in-principle with CN to allow GO Regional Express Rail (RER) to be built along the Kitchener GO corridor.  The agreement-in-principle also provides direction to initiate a planning and technical analysis to build a new freight corridor by-pass that would divert most of CN's rail activity on the Kitchener GO line between Bramalea and Georgetown.  The by-pass could effectively function as the Missing Link (see Maps 1 and 2).  This is a timely and welcomed announcement by the Province, as the Missing Link has the potential to also redirect freight traffic currently using the CP North Toronto rail corridor that runs east-west through the City.  It is recommended that City Council recognize the Provincial announcement to initiate the planning and technical analysis to build a new freight corridor by-pass, and direct staff to participate in further discussions with all relevant parties.

The Missing Link

The impetus for a review of the Missing Link initiative was led by the City of Mississauga and jointly commissioned in early 2015 by Mississauga and the cities of Cambridge and Toronto, and the Town of Milton.  The review was undertaken by the IBI Group, and a report was produced in August, 2015, entitled "Feasibility Study and Business Case of Constructing the Missing Link".  The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of separating freight rail traffic from passenger rail traffic on the Kitchener GO rail corridor and Milton GO rail line.  Within the City of Toronto, this study has bearing on the CP freight rail line that intersects the Barrie GO rail corridor at grade, at the point of the currently planned Metrolinx Davenport grade separation, as well as the Kitchener GO rail corridor within which increased passenger rail service is being planned in the context of the City's SmartTrack initiative and Metrolinx's Regional Express Rail program.

The Feasibility Study, included as Appendix 1 to this report, concludes that the separation of freight and passenger traffic is possible if the majority of freight traffic is redirected to alternative freight rail corridors north of Toronto, requiring construction of a new rail connection within the City of Mississauga, i.e. the Missing Link.   Map 1 identifies the existing rail network and Map 2 shows the potential network with the Missing Link added.

City staff determined that the Missing Link is consistent with the City Official Plan policies to expand passenger rail service in the City and provide multi-modal travel options within Toronto.  The Missing Link also aligns with the Mayor's recently announced "Technology Corridor" between Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, and with better management of freight rail within Toronto.

Davenport Overpass

The Davenport Rail Grade Separation initiative on the Barrie GO rail corridor is part of the Metrolinx Regional Express Rail (RER) program, which envisions the expansion of GO Transit rail service across all seven corridors. RER will provide two-way, all day, GO service as frequent as every 15 minutes through electrification of provincially owned GO rail corridors. The RER program is expected to be delivered over the next ten years by Metrolinx. The City of Toronto supports this overall commitment to transit expansion in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

In the spring of 2015, Metrolinx advised of their intention to conduct an Environmental Assessment under the streamlined Transit Project Assessment Process for the grade separation of the Barrie GO rail corridor and the CP North Toronto Subdivision rail line north of Dupont Street, and that the option under consideration is to elevate the GO corridor on an overpass structure above the CP rail line.  Metrolinx indicates the grade separation is needed to accommodate the increase in GO service, to minimize potential delays, and to ensure safety as GO trains are currently required to wait if a freight train on the CP line is crossing the Barrie corridor at the level interchange point.

The preliminary design for the overpass structure is approximately 1.4 km in length, beginning just north of Bloor Street West, rising to a height of approximately 8.4 m above the CP corridor, and returning back to the existing grade just south of Davenport Road.  Metrolinx refers to the reduced length of 570 m for a "guideway" structure on columns (not including the sections on berm), but the total length of the grade separation remains at 1.4 km.

In addition to the structure height, there will be noise mitigation walls integrated into the overpass structure, and overhead catenary with eventual electrification, that would add to the structure’s vertical dimension. By comparison, the total height (13.4 m) at the highest point is similar to a 4+ storey residential building.  A revised rendering of the proposed structure by Metrolinx is shown in Exhibit 1, and included as Appendix 2 to this report for reference.

The Transit Project Assessment Process (Ontario Regulation 231/08) sets out the steps to be followed for this study, including completion of an environmental project report containing a description of all studies undertaken in relation to the project, and consultation on those studies.  The process expressly removes the requirement to consider need, alternatives, and many local impacts typically considered in environmental assessments.  Significant preparatory analysis is required to develop the project concept, examine the potential environmental impacts of the option(s), consult and consider input, and identify measures to mitigate any impacts. 

Despite City objections the formal Transit Project Assessment Process process was launched January 2016 with the issuance of the Notice of Commencement, which began the official process by the proponent under the Environmental Assessment Act.

Significant planning issues and community impacts have been identified to-date for the overpass option, and theyinclude, but are not limited to the following:

-  The need for a comprehensive vision for the areas immediately surrounding the overpass structure;

-  A multi-modal station at Bloor;

- Cycling connections from the proposed multi-use path to the West Toronto Rail Path;

- The need for a mitigation Strategy for the design of the overpass at Dupont Street;

- Issues of long-term operation and maintenance of the proposed Greenway;

- The need for a design resolution between the proposed Greenway and City Park land; and

- The need for resolution of outstanding Noise, Vibration and Safety issues. 

Notwithstanding the unresolved issues, the Notice of Completion was issued May 26, 2016, and City staff are prepared to continue discussions with Metrolinx, the local community and elected officials on the remaining issues of concern.