Item - 2018.PW31.7

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to negotiate, enter into, and execute a memorandum of understanding with the Toronto Transit Commission and Metrolinx to secure their respective support, commitments, and obligations to deliver the "Minding the Gap" project generally in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the report (June 25, 2018) from the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, and upon such additional terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to negotiate, enter into, and execute an agreement with Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Transport, including any associated Certificates as may be required, for the Program to Advance Transportation Innovation (Program to Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System) generally in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the report (June 25, 2018) from the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, and upon such additional terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

3. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to accept $50,000 in federal funding for related expenditures in 2018 and increase the 2018 Operating Budget for Transportation Services by $50,000 gross and $0 net, on a one-time basis.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to include the remaining $315,000 in federal funding in their respective operating budget submissions for the year 2019-2022 as appropriate.

In September 2017, Transport Canada announced a Call for Proposals under the Program to Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System ("ACATS"), providing funding for supported activities including research and evaluation, development of codes and standards, as well as capacity-building and knowledge-sharing on connected and automated vehicles.

The City of Toronto's submission to Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System (ACATS) has been selected, and the City is to receive up to a maximum of $365,000 to fund the research and piloting of an automated shuttle service.

The purpose of this report is to obtain Council authorization for the General Manager, Transportation Services and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to enter into the necessary agreements with Metrolinx, TTC and the Federal Government to advance this project.

The shuttle is intended to test the technology's ability to meet an existing unmet need in public transit, such as filling the lower-demand "last mile" gap. While the location of the pilot has not yet been selected, the shuttle will not be tested on an existing transit route.

A set of decision-making criteria will be established in mid-2019 to review potential locations for the pilot, determine the level of service, and to select a single route. It is anticipated that the pilot will operate for 6-12 months, depending on the number of vehicles required.