Item - 2022.IE30.11

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to negotiate, enter into and execute an agreement with Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited generally in accordance with the agreement terms listed on pages 12 and 13 of the report dated May 11, 2022 from the General Manager Transportation Services and on such other terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Executive Director, Environment and Energy, in consultation with the Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited, to postpone the planned installation of two Electric Vehicle chargers at 39 Cuthbert Crescent, pending further consultations with the local Councillor.

3. City Council request the Board of Directors of Toronto Parking Authority to work with the General Manager, Transportation Services, Toronto Hydro and relevant stakeholders to install a minimum of 50 on-street electric vehicle chargers by the end of 2023.

4. City Council request the Executive Director, Energy and Environment Division, and the President, Toronto Parking Authority, to report back on the results of the Electric Vehicle Charging Needs Study in 2023 and identify the number of on-street electric vehicle chargers that can be installed through 2024 and 2025.

5. City Council request the Board of Directors of Toronto Parking Authority to request the President, Toronto Parking Authority to accelerate the installation of on-street electric vehicle chargers by prioritizing existing pay and display locations.

6. City Council request the Board of Directors of Toronto Parking Authority to request the President, Toronto Parking Authority to identify in its proposed 2023 Operating and Capital Budgets and 2024 – 2032 Capital Plan, the operating (including staffing) and capital budget requirements needed to support the operation, maintenance and continued expansion of the on-street EV charging program.

7. City Council direct the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to ensure that the City of Toronto / Toronto Parking Authority Net Income Revenue Share Agreement provides Toronto Parking Authority with sufficient retained earnings to fund the incremental costs associated with the operation, maintenance and continued expansion of the on-street EV charging program.

8. City Council request the General Manager Transportation Services and Executive Director, Energy and Environment Division, to work with the President, Toronto Parking Authority to provide annual updates to City Council, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2023, on the installation of on-street and off-street electric vehicle charging stations.

This report concludes the Residential and Downtown On-Street Electric Vehicle Charging Station pilots that were launched in October 2020 and provides the final metrics on charging station utilization, greenhouse gas impacts, costs, revenues and parking regulation compliance rates.

This report also identifies thirty-two (32) new charging stations that will be installed prior to the end of 2022 with funding support from The Atmospheric Fund and the Environment and Energy Division with project execution support from Toronto Hydro. The rapid nature in which these new stations were proposed and finalized illustrates that a refreshed framework for inter-agency collaboration has been solidified, expediting the roll-out of publicly available on-street Electric Vehicle charging stations city-wide in the coming years. The application of established siting criteria, ensuring Councillor participation and feedback in the site selection process and seeking additional funding through new incentive and grant funds have been critical to the success of this expanded roll-out and will continue to be in the future.

As the pilot concludes and the roll-out of on-street Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure continues, staff are proposing minor adjustments to charging rates, the creation of a set of updated design guidelines that will include feedback from the accessibility community and other stakeholders, and ongoing collaboration with various entities, including the City's Electric Vehicle Working Group responsible for the Electric Vehicle file.

To further ensure the continuation of this successful process, this report requests authorization for up to an additional year of a partnership agreement between the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro. This extended partnership agreement will support the delivery of 32 new on-street chargers this year and will support the transition expected in the Second Quarter of 2023 between Toronto Hydro and the Toronto Parking Authority, who will be responsible for operations and maintenance of the on-street chargers as well as the roll-out of additional on-street Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure in future years as part of its overall Electric Vehicle charging program.