Item - 2021.IE24.14

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council forward a copy of the item to the Auditor General with a request that the Auditor General complete an audit of the utility and construction report, include it in the Auditor General's 2022 work plan and report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting at the earliest opportunity.

This report responds to City Council's direction to the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back to the September 14, 2021 Infrastructure and Environment Committee on the following matters regarding work on Wellington Street East between Yonge Street and Church Street:

a.  outstanding work to complete on Wellington Street East, including a timeline for resolution for individual pieces of work; and

b.  potential options to accelerate outstanding work ahead of June 2022

In addition, this report responds to City Council's direction to the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure and Development Services, to coordinate the implementation of construction projects in the vicinity of Wellington Street West and Draper Street (between Portland Street and Spadina Avenue) and report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee with recommendations for managing and executing the infrastructure projects to a high standard of coordination and design excellence.

Within this area, there is capital work programmed to take place in 2022, with additional projects currently in the planning and design phase for delivery in 2024 and beyond. Further information about the work programmed for construction and the work that is in the planning and design phase for future delivery is included within this report.

The current project extends along Wellington Street East, from Yonge Street to Church Street and includes the intersection of Wellington Street East / Church Street / Front Street East and the eastbound approach on Front Street East to Church Street. The project includes state-of-good-repair improvements and incorporation of Vision Zero, Complete Streets, and Green Streets principles with the following scope:

- Public realm improvements which include wider boulevard areas and pedestrian clearways, street trees, space for patios and bike parking

- Road safety improvements including traffic signal improvements

- State-of-good-repair road reconstruction

- State-of-good-repair removal / replacement of Toronto Transit Commission streetcar tracks

- Upgrading of Toronto Hydro and telecom infrastructure
 

Construction commenced in March 2021 and was scheduled to be completed  September 2021. The construction was paused in June 2021, due to several challenges during construction, which are summarized within this report. The pause in construction was put in place, in order to provide City staff and affected utilities, ample time to address and resolve these challenges without causing further disruptions to residents and the business community. Construction is scheduled to resume in spring 2022 and be completed by July 2022.