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July 7, 1998

TO:Urban Environmental and Development Committee

FROM:General Manager, Transportation Services

SUBJECT:F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project

WARD:Councillors Jack Layton and Pam McConnell Ward 25 - Don River and

Councillors Sandra Bussin and Tom Jakobek Ward 26 - East Toronto

Purpose:

To provide additional information related to the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project as requested by the Urban Environment and Development Committee and City Council.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The 1998-2002 Capital Works Program for the Transportation Services Division includes $7.9 million for the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project in 1998 (C-TR026). The Treasurer has previously certified that financing for the estimated project expenditure in 1998 can be provided under the updated Debt and Financial Obligation Limit and that it falls within the updated debt guidelines approved by City of Toronto Council.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project proceed as originally approved by the former Metropolitan Toronto and City of Toronto Councils.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its meeting of April 16, 1998, City Council adopted, as amended, Clause No. 1 of Report No. 3 of the Urban Environment and Development Committee, headed "F. G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project". In so doing, City Council requested the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services and the Interim Functional Lead for Transportation to report back on a number of issues. These issues are described and discussed below.

Discussion:

Council passed 14 motions on April 16, 1998 which directed staff to undertake a number of analyses and respond to questions. Each motion is described and a detailed response is provided in Appendix No. 1 to this report. The discussion below summarizes Council's directions and staff's findings over the last 10 weeks.

Summary of Findings:

The 14 motions of Council can be summarized into two basic directions or questions. First, consultation should be held with stakeholders, particularly those opposed to the approved dismantling plan, and second, an alternative plan that by-passes the traffic signal at Carlaw Avenue should be developed and evaluated against the approved plan.

1.Consultation With Stakeholders and Objectors:

In response to Council's request, meetings have been held with the following groups and individuals:

(a)Design and Construction Liaison Group (The DCLG is comprised of a Business and Industry Forum and a Public Forum);

(b)Beaches Triangle Residents Association;

(c)Bruce Public School representatives;

(d)Citizens for the Retention of the East Gardiner Expressway;

(e)Film Industry representatives (co-ordinated through Toronto Film Studios);

(f)Logan Avenue Residents;

(g)Mr. Marshall Golden;

(h)The City of Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO);

(i)Mr. Kevin Walters; and

(j)Public Meetings with area Councillors.

Staff of the Toronto Harbour Commissioners (THC), which was one of the organizations named as objecting to the dismantling project, have indicated that THC does not have a position on this issue, and therefore a meeting is unwarranted. A copy of the correspondence from THC dated June 8, 1998 is included in Appendix No. 2. THC staff continue to actively participate in the Design and Construction Liaison Group.

A detailed listing of the issues raised by the stakeholders is provided in Appendix No. 2. The main issues raised by the stakeholders are as follows:

Issue (I)

Access to the Port Area should be improved to support long-term development of the Port Area.

Response (I)

Intersection modifications to improve north-south movements to access the Port Area are included in the approved dismantling plan at Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard and at Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard.

Issue (ii)

Traffic volumes will probably increase over time and dismantling the expressway will lead to more spillover traffic in local neighbourhoods and neighbourhoods to the east. To address this issue, an independent study funded by the City and led by a community group should be undertaken and be used to determine the future of the expressway.

Response (ii)

A major transportation planning study of this corridor was undertaken in 1994 by the former Metro Planning Department called the "East Metro Waterfront Corridor Transportation Study". The study concluded that improvements to TTC and GO Transit service and better integration of the two services should form the basis of serving travel growth from the east and northeast. As a result, the former Metropolitan Council decided that no additional roads were required in the corridor and Council removed the Scarborough Transportation Corridor from the Official Plan and the lands for the future extension of the expressway are now being sold.

The issue of existing traffic infiltration into local neighbourhoods needs to be addressed whether or not the Gardiner dismantling proceeds. Analysis is now underway by City staff for the South Riverdale/Eastern Avenue area to determine what measures can alleviate their problems. Similar work can be undertaken in any of the affected communities.

The approved plan for dismantling the expressway provides almost the same level of service in the Corridor as exists today, so after construction there will be little additional pressure to use the local road network as an alternate route as a result of the dismantling.

Issue (iii)

The relocation of the railway lines will cause traffic delays, noise and vibration during and after construction.

Response (iii)

The issue of noise and vibration impacts from trains on the film industry located north of Lake Shore Boulevard East is being reviewed with an independent noise and vibration consultant retained by Toronto Film Studios. This review will provide the basis for the identification of mitigation measures that will be provided to address the film industry's concerns.

Traffic delays due to rail crossing activity must be addressed in two parts: delays due to shunting activity; and delays due to through rail movements.

Shunting:

During shunting operations within the Keating Rail Yard, which is located on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard East between the Don Roadway and Booth Avenue, rail cars located on various tracks are connected to form a single train. To accomplish this, the train must pull out of the rail yard in order to switch between tracks within the yard. Currently, when a train pulls out of the yard, vehicular traffic on Booth Avenue and on westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East is blocked by the train. Motorists originating from Logan Avenue and Morse Street would also be impacted by these shunting operations if their intention is to travel westbound on Lake Shore Boulevard. Staff of the St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway (a division of CP) have indicated that a Board-Order from the Canadian Transportation Agency prohibits shunting activities during the morning and afternoon peak periods. However, during off-peak periods the impact of shunting activities on Lake Shore Boulevard westbound traffic can be significant.

Under the dismantling design, these shunting operations would take place on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard East and, therefore, shunting trains would no longer stop westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East traffic. Depending on the length of trains performing the shunting, Booth Avenue, Logan Avenue and Morse Street could be blocked by shunting operations. However, as indicated above, motorists originating from these streets are already impacted by the existing shunting operations and the relocation results in no change from this current situation.

Through Train Movements:

Regarding through train movements, the main area of concern is the three rail spur lines located between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street. Two of these lines serve a single property occupied by CanRoof Corporation. The third rail lead extends south of Lake Shore Boulevard East, serving the Main Sewage Treatment Plant and the lower Port Area. These rail lines presently cross eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard East, east of Carlaw Avenue. Under the approved dismantling plan, these rail lines will cross both eastbound and westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East and motorists destined to or originating from the Gardiner Expressway will be required to cross them. This will translate into additional delays for westbound Lake Shore Boulevard traffic as described below.

Number of Train Movements:

At the time of the environmental assessment study, our information on train usage by the major users of rail transport in the eastern Port accounted for 4 train movements per week across Lake Shore Boulevard East between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street. Since that time, we have received updated information on the number of train movements across these 3 lines. On most weekdays, there are 2 train movements during the midday (1 train on a return trip) and 2 train movements in the late evening (between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.). On some weekdays there are an additional 2 to 4 train movements to CanRoof Corporation between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.. Therefore, on average, there are 6 movements per weekday across Lake Shore Boulevard East between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street.

Timing of Train Movements:

Each of these movements across Lake Shore Boulevard takes approximately 2 minutes due to the slow speed of the trains. Therefore, using the figure of 6 train movements per weekday, Lake Shore Boulevard and Gardiner Expressway traffic would be stopped by through train movements for a total of 12 minutes per 24 hours on an average weekday, and all of that time would occur outside of the peak traffic periods.

Issue (iv)

Air pollution will increase as a result of the dismantling and the barrier effect of Lake Shore Boulevard will be as great as the barrier effect of the Gardiner Expressway.

Response (iv)

Our air quality analysis indicates that for the dismantling project, air quality measures such as nitrogen oxides, total suspended particulates, and carbon monoxide will not change significantly (+1%).

It is true that Lake Shore Boulevard provides a challenge for designers with respect to pedestrian crossings. However, the new configuration presents a number of opportunities to improve the overall pedestrian environment which are not possible with the existing elevated structure. For example, sidewalks, trees, a bicycle/pedestrian trail and improved pedestrian crossings can be provided as part of the Approved Plan which mitigate the barrier effect of Lake Shore Boulevard.

2.Evaluation of Alternative Dismantling Plan:

Council directed staff to develop options for dismantling the expressway which would remove or bypass the traffic signal at Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard. In order to achieve this objective both at-grade and grade-separated alternatives were developed and evaluated.

Evaluation of At-Grade Alternatives:

Within the at-grade category two alternatives were considered:

(a)remove the traffic signal at the Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection; and

(b)restrict all left turns and north-south through movements at the Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection.

Both alternatives would have similar impacts in that they would require closing the intersection to north-south traffic.

The Port Area has four main access points: Cherry Street, Don Roadway, Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street. On several occasions over the course of this project, TEDCO has noted the importance of multiple access points for the Port Area to attract and serve future development. Prohibiting north-south traffic at the Carlaw Avenue intersection would result in significant out of way travel for traffic moving to and from the Port Area. North-south access for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to and from the Port would be limited to Leslie Street, the Don Roadway (which is a connection to the Don Valley Parkway only) and Cherry Street. Traffic that currently turns left or proceeds north-south at Carlaw Avenue would most likely be diverted to the Leslie Street intersection which is the closest alternative access to the Port Area. As a result, the Leslie Street and Lake shore Boulevard East intersection would operate with significantly lower levels of service during peak periods.

The closure of the Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection would reduce access capacity to the Port Area and thereby reduce the attractiveness of the Port Area for future development as well as its ability to accommodate it. In addition, Carlaw Avenue is one of the few intersections in the South Riverdale area which provides north-south access for pedestrians and cyclists across Lake Shore Boulevard East. As a result of all of these impacts, removing the traffic light or restricting the movements at Carlaw Avenue, was not considered a viable option.

Evaluation of Grade-Separated Alternatives:

We considered the following two physical alternatives to bypass the traffic signal at Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East:

(i)grade separation of Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard; and

(ii)an alternative dismantling plan in which the Expressway ends east of Carlaw Avenue.

The first alternative would require either Carlaw Avenue or Lake Shore Boulevard East to be raised or lowered to physically separate the two roads. None of these options is considered feasible for the following reasons:

(aa)the narrow right-of-way along Carlaw Avenue is insufficient to accommodate a structure, while maintaining access to Lake Shore Boulevard;

(bb)presence of buildings immediately adjacent to the streetline prohibits widening of the right-of-way on Carlaw;

(cc)the presence of a number of private entrances along Carlaw Avenue both north and south of Lake Shore Boulevard results in severe access impacts to lands in this area,

(dd)conflicts with utilities, particularly the large (2.2 m by 1.4 m) twin concrete drainage culverts running along Carlaw Avenue, outletting at Commissioners Street. Relocating these utilities is not feasible within the existing right-of-way.

(ee)the existing Lake Shore Boulevard right-of-way is not sufficiently wide to accommodate the grade separation; this option would result in property impacts to Buchman Lumber and Mayfair Racquet Club

(ff)the distance between the end of the Gardiner Ramps at Bouchette Street and the ramps to the structure on Lake Shore over Carlaw Avenue is insufficient to permit a proper connection between Carlaw Avenue and the Gardiner.

On this basis these alternatives were not developed into full detailed plans and were not considered further.

The other alternative for bypassing the signal at Carlaw Avenue is to leave a longer section of the Gardiner in place, and locate the entrance and exit ramps so that they merge with Lake Shore Boulevard east of Carlaw Avenue. The scheme developed for this option is shown in Exhibits Nos. 2A and 2B and is from here on referred to as the Alternative Plan. (The Approved Plan is shown in Exhibits 1A and 1B).

It should be noted that, during consultations with the affected Ward Councillors on the Alternative Plan, we were requested to review the feasibility of a design where the new ramps to the Expressway would begin east of the film studios' properties and merge with Lake Shore Boulevard just west of Leslie Street. Although we have not had sufficient time to develop a detailed plan for such a design, a cursory examination indicates that this plan would create significant operational problems and would be quite similar in cost to the rehabilitation option.

The operational problems associated with such a plan would occur where the eastbound off-ramp, east of the film studios' properties, would meet Lake Shore Boulevard less than 200 metres west of the signalized intersection of Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East. This design would result in eastbound vehicles queuing from the signal at Leslie Street up the off-ramp and onto the Expressway, creating a potential rear-end collision hazard. In addition, this design would not provide sufficient weaving distance to permit eastbound Expressway traffic to turn right onto Leslie Street or for eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard traffic to turn left onto Leslie Street.

Accordingly, due to its higher cost and operational problems this alternative was not considered further.

The Alternative Plan shown on Exhibits Nos. 2A and 2B will enable the Carlaw/Lake Shore intersection to function as it does today, with Gardiner Expressway traffic bypassing the traffic signal at Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East. Other significant differences in design features from the Approved Plan for the dismantling of the Expressway are highlighted in the table below. It should be noted that some elements of the design (in either case) are predicated on a commitment to the public that access to and from the F.G. Gardiner Expressway be maintained at all times during the re-construction effort.

Design Features of Dismantling Plans
Design Feature	Approved Plan	Alternative Plan
Length of Gardiner Dismantled	1380 metres	820 metres
Ramp Structures	The on and off ramps share the same structure and no additional property is required on the north side, except for a small triangle to facilitate rail relocation.	The on and off ramps for the Gardiner are split, and require separate structures. The on-ramp overhangs the existing north property limit, and requires additional property to be purchased along a section of the north side of Lake Shore. Property will also be required along the south side of Lake Shore to obtain a full boulevard for sidewalks.
Rail Relocation	The rail line on Lake Shore is relocated to the north side, eliminating shunting across Lake Shore, however all Lake Shore and Gardiner traffic are required to cross three rail crossings.	The rail line on Lake Shore Boulevard remains in its existing location; the rail line would run between eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard and the eastbound Gardiner off ramp. No change from the existing situation would result. Trains would continue to shunt across Lake Shore Boulevard, and eastbound Lake Shore traffic would cross the three rail spurs.
Adjacent Land Uses at Ramps	The ramps touch down in the vicinity of the Keating Rail Yard.	The ramps touch down on Lake Shore Boulevard in the vicinity of the film and sound studios east of Carlaw.

The Alternative Plan was evaluated against the same three factors as was the Approved Plan in the environmental assessment study. These factors are:

urban character - socio-economic and natural environments;
transportation service - route travel times and intersection levels-of-service; and
50-year life-cycle cost expressed as a present value.

The details of this evaluation are provided in Appendix No. 3. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Alternative Plan relative to the Approved Plan is provided below:

Alternative Plan Compared to Approved Plan

Advantages of Alternative Plan	Disadvantages of Alternative Plan
Reduces traffic signal delay by 10 seconds on average for WB Gardiner traffic during the AM peak hour, reduces traffic signal delay by 23 seconds on average for EB Gardiner traffic in PM peak hour, reduces traffic signal delay by 13 seconds on average for EB Lake Shore traffic in PM peak hour compared to Approved Plan.	Increases traffic signal delay by 13 seconds on average for WB Lake Shore traffic during AM peak hour compared to Approved Plan.
Avoids rail crossings for Gardiner traffic.	Does not provide access to the Gardiner via Carlaw Avenue (reduced Port accessibility from Approved Plan).
By-passing of Carlaw Avenue retains existing traffic patterns, making Gardiner traffic infiltration of neighbourhoods west of Leslie Street less likely.	Rail shunting activity will continue to block WB Lake Shore Boulevard traffic.
	Increased construction activity in the vicinity of the Film Studios.
	Increased noise in the vicinity of the Film Studios after construction due to location of Gardiner on and off-ramps eg. truck shifting gears to accelerate/decelerate.
	Requires property to be acquired from Purolator on the north side of Lake Shore, impacting employee parking and truck service area. Requires property on the south side from Buchman Lumber.
	Amount of street frontage improved by removal of elevated structure reduced by 560 m.
	Life-Cycle costs approximately $6 million more than Approved Plan.

It is important to consider that the basic differences between the Approved Plan and the Alternative Plan relate to the small benefits in reducing vehicular delay provided by the Alternative Plan compared to the Approved Plan at a cost of approximately $6 million more over the life of the project and significantly reduced urban design benefits. The Executive Director, City Planning Division supports the Approved Plan from an urban design perspective as it provides superior city building opportunities compared to the Alternative Plan.

While we believe that the Alternative Plan is physically feasible and would provide a satisfactory operation, its benefits in vehicular delay reduction are minimal when traded off against the lower cost and better urban design of the Approved Plan.

Conclusions:

Many of the concerns raised about the F.G. Gardiner Expressway Dismantling Project have already been addressed through previous planning and design work or can be addressed with appropriate mitigating measures. Those concerns that cannot be addressed relate to a desire to maintain the existing Expressway structure.

We are of the opinion that the approved plan for the dismantling of the Expressway continues to provide the best combination of transportation service, urban character improvements and cost savings over the long term. On this basis, we recommend that the dismantling of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway between the Don Roadway and Leslie Street proceed as planned and that the contract for the relocation of the rail lines be awarded as recommended in a supplementary report.

Contact Name:

Kathleen Llewellyn-Thomas

Manager, Project Planning and Design

392-8590

David C. Kaufman

General Manager, Transportation Services

Barry H. Gutteridge

Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

JPK/jc

APPENDIX NO .1

Detailed Responses to Motions Approved

By City Council on April 16, 1998

APPENDIX NO. 1

Detailed Responses to Motions Approved

by City Council on April 16, 1998

(1)Motion:

The Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be required to meet with the objectors, including TEDCO, the Toronto Harbour Commission, residents west of Carlaw Avenue, the Beaches Triangle Residents Association and the film community, to decide whether there is a compromise which can be found.

Response:

In response to Council's request, meetings have been held with the following groups and individuals:

(a)Design and Construction Liaison Group;

(b)Beaches Triangle Residents Association;

(c)Bruce Public School representatives;

(d)Citizens for the Retention of the East Gardiner Expressway;

(e)Film Industry representatives (co-ordinated through Toronto Film Studios);

(f)Logan Avenue Residents;

(g)Mr. Marshall Golden;

(h)The City of Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO); and

(i)Mr. Kevin Walters.

The requests and responses to these requests is provided below. A table including more details of the discussions with the stakeholders is provided in Appendix No. 2.

(i)Access to the Port industrial Area via the intersections of Lake Shore Boulevard East at Cherry Street, at Carlaw Avenue, and at Leslie Street, should be improved to support long-term development of the Port area.

Intersection improvements that will improve north-south and east-west vehicular operations are included in the dismantling project for the intersections of Lake Shore Boulevard East at Leslie Street and at Carlaw Avenue. A feasibility study on improvements to the Lake Shore Boulevard East and Cherry Street intersection is underway and we are planning to report on the results of this study at the September meeting of Urban Environment and Development Committee.

(ii)An independent traffic study, funded by the City, with terms of reference developed by the community, should be undertaken to determine the potential impacts of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project on both local and GTA levels. The future of the Expressway should be determined by the results of this study.

A transportation study of the scale requested was undertaken by the former Metro Planning Department in 1994. This study, The East Metro Waterfront Corridor Transportation Study, resulted in the former Metropolitan Council deciding that no additional major roads are required in the area and approving a change to the Metropolitan Official Plan to remove the Scarborough Transportation Corridor from the Plan. As a result, the lands for the Corridor are being sold. The study also recommended that improvements to local and regional transit systems be undertaken and integration of the two systems be improved to address the future travel needs of the eastern portion of the City of Toronto and Durham Region.

(iii)Traffic infiltration in the Beaches and South Riverdale neighbourhoods should be addressed as part of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling project, prior to the beginning of construction and traffic diversions.

The issue of neighbourhood traffic infiltration is discussed in section (8).

(iv)The rail lines should remain in their current location or be shifted to another location outside of the Lake Shore Boulevard East corridor, to address concerns of pedestrian and vehicular safety, delays due to train crossings of Lake Shore Boulevard East, and noise and vibration impacts on the film industry located north of Lake Shore Boulevard East.

The issue of safety at the rail crossings is discussed in section (3).

Traffic delays due to rail crossing activity must be addressed in two parts: delays due to shunting activity; and delays due to through rail movements.

Shunting:

During shunting operations within the Keating Rail Yard, which is located on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard East between the Don Roadway and Booth Avenue, rail cars located on various tracks are connected to form a single train. To accomplish this, the train must pull out of the rail yard in order to switch between tracks within the yard. Currently, when a train pulls out of the yard, vehicular traffic on Booth Avenue and on westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East is blocked by the train. Motorists originating from Logan Avenue and Morse Street would also be impacted by these shunting operations if their intention is to travel westbound on Lake Shore Boulevard. Staff of the St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway (a division of CP) have indicated that a Board-Order prohibits shunting during the morning and afternoon peak periods. However, during off-peak periods the impact of shunting activities on Lake Shore Boulevard westbound traffic can be significant.

Under the dismantling design, these shunting operations would take place on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard East and, therefore, shunting trains would no longer stop westbound Lake Shore Boulevard traffic. Depending on the length of trains performing the shunting, Booth Avenue, Logan Avenue and Morse Street could be blocked by shunting operations. However, as indicated above, motorists originating from these streets are already impacted by the existing shunting operations and the relocation results in no change from this current situation.

Through Train Movements:

Regarding through train movements, the main area of concern is the three rail spur lines located between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street. Two of these lines serve a single property occupied by CanRoof Corporation. The third rail lead extends south of Lake Shore Boulevard East, serving the Main Sewage Treatment Plant and the lower Port Area. These rail lines presently only cross eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard East. Under the approved dismantling plan, these rail lines will cross both eastbound and westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East and motorists destined to or originating from the Gardiner Expressway will be required to cross them.

Number of Train Movements:

At the time of the environmental assessment study, our information on train usage by the major users of rail transport in the eastern Port accounted for 2 trains or 4 train movements per week across Lake Shore Boulevard East between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street. Since that time, we have received updated information on the number of train movements across these 3 lines. On most weekdays, there are 2 train movements during the midday (1 train on a return trip) and 2 train movements in the late evening (between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.). On some weekdays there are an additional 2 to 4 train movements to CanRoof Corporation between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.. Therefore, on average, there are 6 movements per weekday across Lake Shore Boulevard East between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street.

Timing of Train Movements:

(v)The speed and volume of traffic on Eastern Avenue should be reduced and the pedestrian facilities improved to enhance the pedestrian environment and safety of area school children.

The possibility of traffic diversions from the Gardiner Expressway - Lake Shore Boulevard Corridor due to the dismantling project is discussed in section (8). However, the community surrounding Eastern Avenue have indicated that they are concerned about existing conditions. We have committed to review the existing traffic operations on Eastern Avenue and in the community adjacent to it to determine if any operational or physical changes are feasible to address their concerns. A public meeting on this issue was held by the local Councillors in June.

(vi)A community centre, pool or skating rink should be constructed to service the community in the vicinity of Eastern Avenue.

While this is an important issue to the community in the vicinity of Eastern Avenue, this issue is not related to the F.G. Gardiner dismantling project and would be best addressed by the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department.

(vii)Construction impacts of noise and vibration on the film industry should be minimized, and a public relations campaign should be funded by the City to ensure that perceptions related to the impact of the dismantling project on the film industry are mitigated.

Our proposed method for minimizing noise and vibration due to construction activity is discussed in section (7). This method has been discussed at length with representatives of the film industry and their noise and vibration consultant.

It is feasible to assist the film industry in mounting a public relations campaign to mitigate negative perceptions about the viability of the studio adjacent to the Lake Shore Boulevard corridor. The context of such a campaign is being discussed with film industry representatives and with the City's Film and Television Office.

(viii)The existing F.G. Gardiner Expressway structure should be retained and rehabilitated and a new westbound on-ramp should be constructed to by-pass the Lake Shore Boulevard East and Leslie Street intersection.

The advantages and disadvantages of rehabilitating the existing Expressway structure and constructing a new westbound on-ramp that by-passes Leslie Street was reviewed in detail during the environmental assessment (EA) study. Our rationale for favouring the dismantling option over this alternative were presented in Clause No. 1 of Report No. 3 of the Urban Environment and Development Committee which was considered by City council at its meeting held on April 16, 1998. That report is attached.

(ix)Movements between Lake Shore Boulevard East and Eastern Avenue on Logan Avenue should be physically prohibited by a permanent barrier.

A group of residents of Logan Avenue indicated that they would like to have this issue reviewed regardless of the status of the dismantling project. It was also suggested at a recent Public Meeting that a portion of Logan Avenue be made one way northbound. We will review this issue and consult with other users of this street and report our findings to the Logan Avenue residents and Ward 25 Councillors Layton and McConnell. Further action, if required, will be determined through the outcome of this process.

(x)The cost difference between the rehabilitation of the existing Expressway structure and the dismantling option was over-estimated in the EA study according to an independent consultant's report.

The Toronto Harbour Commissioners retained an independent engineering consultant to review the findings of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Environmental Assessment and Preliminary Design Study. The consultant completed his review in April, 1998 and his findings contend that the difference between the cost of rehabilitating the existing Expressway structure and the cost of the dismantling option is $0.73 million in favor of dismantling. The EA study conclusions indicated that this cost difference was $14 million in favor of dismantling(life-cycle costs expressed as a net present value in 1996 dollars).

The consultant arrived at this conclusion by making several adjustments to both cost estimates as follows:

(a)the estimated cost of the demolition portion of the dismantling project was increased by $3.7 million;

(b)through a combination of modifying the rehabilitation program and using lower unit costs, the estimated cost of rehabilitation was lowered by $12.44 million; and

(c)a cost of $1.2 million attributed to additional gasoline costs incurred due to increased vehicular delays was added to the dismantling cost.

We are confident that our cost estimates for both the rehabilitation and demolition of the Expressway structure are reasonable, and a debate on these cost estimates is unlikely to be resolved until actual cost figures are available. We do feel, however, that the addition of gasoline costs to the dismantling project is inappropriate. Whether or not the prediction of increased gasoline consumption is correct, gasoline costs are not a capital liability of the City of Toronto. Conversely, apparent gasoline savings from rehabilitating the Expressway cannot be used to fund capital expenditures by the City.

In addition to this concern, we are also not in agreement with the method by which the consultant altered the cost figures to obtain what he called an "apples-to-apples" comparison between rehabilitation and dismantling. In this analysis the consultant's purpose was to remove from each project any extra's to compare the engineering elements of each option. However, he missed some important elements that should have been removed in order to present the true "apples to apples" comparison. While the consultant's rehabilitation cost estimate has been developed to include only the cost of rehabilitating the Expressway structure, his dismantling cost estimate includes $3.39 million for sidewalks, bicycle paths, landscaping and public art and $2.8 million for the reconstruction of Lake Shore Boulevard East. If these costs are removed from the dismantling project along with the gasoline costs, the consultant's dismantling project cost is $8.12 million less than his estimated cost of rehabilitation. This information supports the findings of the EA study that the dismantling option is significantly less costly than the rehabilitation option.

(2)Motion:

The Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to report to the Urban Environment and Development Committee on options for the for the dismantling of the Gardiner East which would remove or by-pass the traffic light at Lake Shore Boulevard East and Carlaw Avenue, such report to be submitted to the Committee at the same time as the contract for Phase I of the dismantling of the Gardiner East is before the Committee for awarding, and the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services confirm, at that time, that the Phase I work (to prepare detour routes and to move railway tracks) would be required for any of the dismantling options.

Response:

The direction of Council was to develop options for the dismantling which would remove or bypass the traffic signal at Carlaw and Lake Shore Boulevard. In order to achieve this both at-grade and grade separated alternatives were developed and evaluated.

Evaluation of At-Grade Alternatives:

Within the at-grade category two alternatives were considered:

(a)remove the traffic signal at the Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection; and

(b)restrict all left turns and north-south through movements at the Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection.

Both alternatives would have similar impacts in that they would require closing the intersection to north-south traffic.

The Port Area has four main access points: Cherry Street, Don Roadway, Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street. On several occasions over the course of this project, TEDCO has noted the importance of multiple access points for the Port Area to attract and serve future development. Prohibiting north-south traffic at the Carlaw Avenue intersection would result in significant out of way travel for traffic moving to and from the Port Area. North-south access for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to and from the Port would be limited to Leslie Street, the Don Roadway (which is a connection to the Don Valley Parkway only) and Cherry Street. Traffic that currently turns left or proceeds north-south at Carlaw Avenue would most likely be diverted to the Leslie Street intersection which is the closest alternative access to the Port Area. As a result, the Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection would operate with lower levels of service during peak periods.

The closure of the Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection would reduce access capacity to the Port Area and thereby reduce the attractiveness of the Port Area for future development as well as its ability to accommodate it. In addition, Carlaw Avenue is one of the few intersections in the South Riverdale area which provides north-south access for pedestrians and cyclists across Lake Shore Boulevard East. Removing the traffic light or restricting the movements at Carlaw Avenue, was therefore not considered a viable option.

Evaluation of Grade Separated Alternatives:

We considered the following two grade separated alternatives to bypass the traffic signal at Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East:

(i)grade separation of Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard; and

(ii)an alternative dismantling plan in which the Expressway ends east of Carlaw Avenue.

the narrow right-of-way along Carlaw Avenue is insufficient to accommodate a structure, while maintaining access to Lake Shore Boulevard;

presence of buildings immediately adjacent to the streetline prohibit widening of the right-of-way on Carlaw;

the presence of a number of private entrances along Carlaw Avenue both north and south of Lake Shore Boulevard results in severe access impacts to lands in this area,

conflicts with utilities, particularly the large (2.2 m by 1.4 m) twin concrete drainage culverts running along Carlaw Avenue, outletting at Commissioners Street. Relocating these utilities is not feasible within the existing right-of-way.

the existing Lake Shore Boulevard right-of-way is not sufficiently wide to accommodate the grade separation; this option would result in property impacts to Buchman Lumber and Mayfair Racquet Club

the distance between the end of the Gardiner Ramps at Bouchette Street and the ramps to the structure on Lake Shore over Carlaw Avenue is insufficient to permit a proper connection between Carlaw Avenue and the Gardiner.

On this basis these alternatives were not developed into full detailed plans and were not considered further.

The other alternative for bypassing the signal at Carlaw Avenue is to leave a longer section of the Gardiner in place, and locate the entrance and exit ramps so that they merge with Lake Shore east of Carlaw Avenue. The scheme developed for this option is referred to as the Alternative Plan. This alternative will enable the Carlaw/Lake Shore intersection to function as it does today, with Gardiner Expressway traffic bypassing the traffic signal at Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East. Other significant differences in design features from the approved plan for the dismantling of the Expressway are listed in the table below. It should be noted that some elements of the design (in either case) are predicated on a commitment to the public that access to and from the F.G. Gardiner Expressway be maintained at all times during the re-construction effort.

Accordingly, due to its higher cost and operational problems this alternative was not considered further.

Design Features of Dismantling Plans
Design Feature	Approved Plan	Alternative Plan
Length of Gardiner Dismantled	1380 metres	820 metres
Ramp Structures	The on and off ramps share the same structure and no additional property is required on the north side, except for a small triangle to facilitate rail relocation.	The on and off ramps for the Gardiner are split, and requires separate structures. The on-ramp overhangs the existing north property limit, and would require additional property be purchased along a section of the north side of Lake Shore. Property will also be required along the south side of Lake Shore to obtain a full boulevard for sidewalks.
Rail Relocation	The rail line on Lake Shore is relocated to the north side, eliminating shunting across Lake Shore, however all Lake Shore and Gardiner traffic are required to cross three rail crossings.	The rail line on Lake Shore Boulevard remains in its existing location; the rail line would run between eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard and the eastbound Gardiner off ramp. No change from the existing situation results. Trains continue to shunt across Lake Shore Boulevard, and eastbound Lake Shore traffic cross the three rail spurs.
Adjacent Land Uses at Ramps	The ramps touch down in the vicinity of the Keating Rail Yard.	The ramps touch down on Lake Shore Boulevard in the vicinity of the film and sound studios east of Carlaw.

The Alternative Plan was evaluated against the same three factors as was the Approved Plan in the environmental assessment study. These factors are:

urban character - socio-economic and natural environments;
transportation service - route travel times and intersection levels-of-service; and
50-year life-cycle cost expressed as a present value.

The details of this evaluation are provided in Appendix No. 3. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Alternative Plan relative to the Approved Plan is provided in the table below.

Alternative Plan as Compared to Approved Plan:

Advantages of Alternative Plan	Disadvantages of Alternative Plan
Reduces traffic signal delay by 10 seconds on average for WB traffic during the AM peak hour, reduces traffic signal delay by 23 seconds on average for EB Gardiner traffic in PM peak hour, reduces traffic signal delay by 16 seconds on average for EB Lake Shore traffic in PM peak hour compared to Approved Plan.	Increases traffic signal delay by 13 seconds on average for WB Lake Shore traffic during AM peak hour compared to Approved Plan.
Avoids rail crossings for Gardiner traffic.	Does not provide access to the Gardiner via Carlaw Avenue (reduced Port accessibility).
By-passing of Carlaw Avenue retains existing traffic patterns, making Gardiner traffic infiltration of neighbourhoods west of Leslie Street less likely.	Rail shunting activity will continue to block WB Lake Shore Boulevard traffic.
	Increased construction activity in the vicinity of the Film Studios.
	Increased noise in the vicinity of the Film Studios after construction due to location of Gardiner on and off-ramps.
	Requires property to be acquired from Purolator on the north side of Lake Shore, impacting employee parking and truck service area.
	Amount of street frontage improved by removal of elevated structure reduced by 560 m.
	Life-Cycle costs approximately $6 million more than Approved Plan.

(3)Motion:

The Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to report to the Urban Environment and Development Committee on the safety and operational impacts of the rail relocation on local streets and communities, such report to be before the Committee at the time of the Phase I contract award.

Response:

The approved plan includes relocation of the Lake Shore Boulevard industrial railway lead from the median to the north boulevard. The relocated track will cross Booth, Logan, Morse and Carlaw Avenue at grade and will be located 8 metres north of the Lake Shore Boulevard curb line.

The proposed design has been reviewed by TEDCO, the railways and Transport Canada. Based on these consultations, the design will include full railway signalization at Booth, Logan and Morse. The crossing at Carlaw will be protected by connecting the traffic control signal so that the red signal is actuated by an approaching train. The signalization at Booth, Logan and Morse will consist of standard railway signal flashing lights and bells to be located on both sides of the track, on both the east and west sides of each roadway. The signals will be activated so that there will be an advance warning before the train reaches the road. In addition, no plantings or other obstructions will be allowed in the vicinity of the intersection so that trains will be visible to approaching traffic including cyclists and pedestrians. All pedestrian, cyclist and vehicular crossings will be designed using rubberized crossing pads to allow safe, smooth crossing of the tracks themselves.

With respect to traffic disruption caused by railway movements and shunting activities crossing Booth, Logan and Morse, southbound traffic will have to stop at the stop line which will be located 5 metres north of the rail track. This traffic has to stop for crossing trains under the existing condition after they turn onto Lake Shore Boulevard. Total traffic disruption will be less after the relocation than it is today because the present rail crossing on Lake Shore Boulevard causes traffic from the sidestreets and Lake shore Boulevard to stop and queue upon Lake Shore Boulevard. The rail relocations will remove the delay due to shunting and through movements on Lake Shore Boulevard.

(4)Motion:

The Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to conduct a cost analysis for the rail underpass in the design consideration of the Gardiner East dismantling and report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

Response:

In response to Council's request, we considered 2 alternatives for grade separating Lake Shore Boulevard at the 3 rail crossings west of Leslie Street. These are discussed below.

Lake Shore Boulevard Under Rail:

In order to grade separate Lake Shore Boulevard under the railway spur lines, approximately 85% of the length of Lake Shore Boulevard between Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street would require a depressed grade to provide the necessary clearances under the three rail crossings. An excavation depth of 7.8 m (23ft.) is required midway through the depression to provide a low point for drainage and to meet clearance requirements. Extensive retaining wall structures will be required along both sides of Lake Shore Boulevard so access from Lake Shore Boulevard to Showline and Toronto Film Studios cannot be maintained under this scheme. An extensive pumping system would be required to drain the depressed sections of Lake Shore. To maintain access to the Gardiner during construction, a detour will be required for Lake Shore Boulevard along the north property line. A preliminary cost estimate for the major items (bridges, retaining walls, earth excavation, processing of contaminated materials and detour) is approximately $22 million.

Rail Under Lake Shore Boulevard:

This option is not feasible due to the maximum allowable rail grade of 1.0% required for train operations. The construction of rail below Lake Shore Boulevard would require an approach length of 900 m to the east and west of the grade separation. To the east of the grade separation, rail service to CanRoof would not be possible, as the rail would be in excess of 8.0 m below the elevations of the existing rail. At Commissioner's Street the rail would be 4.5 metres below grade requiring further grade separations on both Leslie Street and Commissioner's Street. To the west of the crossing, access from Lake Shore Boulevard to Carlaw Avenue, Logan Avenue and Booth Avenue would be closed, due to insufficient clearance over the rail. The new rail would be 3.0 m below existing rail elevations at the east entrance of the Keating yard; a major redesign of the yard would be required to make access to the yard possible.

Based on the high costs, access impacts and operational problems, the grade separation of road and rail along Lake Shore Boulevard was not developed to a functional level of detail and was not considered further.

(5)Motion:

A Construction Monitoring Committee be established which will meet regularly and more frequently when urgent items occur, and this Construction Monitoring Committee include representatives from the local industries, including film, local residents and east end neighbourhoods, as well as interested Councillors or their delegates. This Monitoring Committee will focus on: noise reduction so that filming and communities will not be disrupted in any way; traffic flow; traffic infiltration; effective business traffic management; dust and any other items.

Response:

Since the detailed design of the dismantling project began in the Summer of 1997, area residents, area business representatives and special interest groups have been involved in through a Design and Construction Liaison Group (DCLG). This DCLG is comprised of a Business and Industry Forum and a Public Forum which are both open to any member of the public but which meet separately. Approximately 200 individuals are on the mailing list for the DCLG, including the affected Wards' Councillors, and approximately 30 people attend each of the forum meetings. On June 8^th, 1998, the Business/Industry group of the Design and Construction Liaison Group (DCLG) considered Council's motion and agreed that the existing DCLG would provide an appropriate mechanism for local industries, residents, community representatives and Councillors to monitor construction-related impacts and provide advice and recommendations. The DCLG approved an amendment to Section 1.2 of the DCLG Terms of Reference to specify that the DCLG will "provide advice and recommendations to Toronto Transportation (and its consultant team) regarding monitoring of construction during the project, focusing on noise reduction so that filming and communities will not be disrupted in any way; traffic flow; traffic infiltration; effective business traffic management; dust; and any other items."

(6)Motion:

The Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested, in consultation with the Councillors in each of the affected Wards (including those east of Victoria Park Avenue), to initiate local public education meetings in order to disseminate detailed information, and to ensure full public participation, on the impact of the dismantling of the eastern portion of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway, such meetings to be held prior to the start of the construction stage of the dismantling project.

Response:

Public information meetings have been held in each of Wards 25, 26, and 13 regarding the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project. In Ward 25, meetings were held on April 14th, 1998 and June 29, 1998. In Ward 26, meetings were held on February 3, 1998 and June 29, 1998. In each of these cases the Ward Councillors were primarily responsible for organizing the meetings. On April 7, 1998, the East Beach Community Association organized a meeting in Ward 13 which was attended by the Ward Councillors.

(7)Motion:

The Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to investigate possible methods of minimizing noise levels during the dismantling of the eastern portion of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway and report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

Response:

Throughout the course of the project our noise consultant has taken numerous measurements of ambient noise levels along the right of way, particularly in the vicinity of the film studios. These will serve as a solid basis for dealing with any complaints during dismantling and evaluating the success of noise control measures.

To address this issue, a performance specification will be included in the construction contract which will require the contractor to limit the noise caused by demolition to existing peak period ambient levels. To achieve this, the contractor may have to utilize several measures including limiting equipment, scheduling noisy activities and/or muffling equipment.

The noise specification will require the contractor to establish and maintain effective liaison with surrounding owners, particularly the film studios coordinate schedules and generally cooperate so as not to disrupt filming.

The noise specification will also contain specific clauses which will require the contractor to immediately notify the contract administrator of any noise complaints. As well he/she shall be required to immediately cease use of the equipment likely to have caused the noise complaint and cooperate by allowing inspection and testing of such equipment. The work shall be stopped until such time as noise control measures are implemented to the satisfaction of the contract administrator. The details of the performance based specification is the subject of ongoing meetings with the Film industry.

(8)Motion:

The Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to develop a full strategy for preventing traffic infiltration in the corridor, including infiltration into neighbourhoods at the former Greenwood Race Track and the neighbourhoods in the vicinity of Kingston Road, the Beaches and south Riverdale and report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

Response:

Traffic infiltration is a concern of the area residents in South Riverdale and the Beaches. Although traffic infiltration is an existing problem in these neighbourhoods, concerns have been raised that neighbourhood traffic infiltration will grow during construction and after completion of the project. In order to assess what the affect of the dismantling project would be, we conducted studies to help predict what may happen. Delay studies were undertaken because the likelihood of motorists choosing to cut through neighbourhoods depends on the amount of delay they experience on their chosen route.

During the week of May 25, 1998, travel time and delay surveys were conducted between Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street in the east, and Jarvis Street in the west. These travel time surveys were conducted during the a.m. peak period (westbound) and the p.m. peak period (eastbound) for Lake Shore Boulevard, the Gardiner Expressway, Eastern Avenue and Queen Street. Four to six travel "runs" were conducted for each route. These surveys showed the following results:

Route	Average Travel Time
Route	AM Westbound	PM Eastbound
Lake Shore Boulevard	9.1 min.	9.6 min.
Gardiner Expressway	10.2 min.	5.7 min.
Eastern Avenue	12 min.	8.7 min.
Queen Street	13.2 min.	14.8 min.

The travel time surveys indicate that the Lake Shore/Gardiner corridor provides the best level of service and shortest travel time between Woodbine Avenue and Jarvis Street.

During construction we will make access to the Gardiner and the detour route as attractive as possible by providing a full 4 lane roadway to/from the Gardiner ramps and a full 4 lane detour route along Commissioner's Street. In addition, extensive signing will be used to direct traffic to the through routes.

After construction is complete, travel times for Gardiner Expressway traffic will increase slightly by 30 seconds to one minute. The Lake Shore/Gardiner corridor will remain the fastest route and therefore the route of choice to and from the Downtown Core.

(9)Motion:

The Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to prepare a precise and detailed schedule to demonstrate in what ways and for what period various portions of the project route would be affected, including rail traffic and report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

Response:

The proposed scheduling for the Approved Design is shown in the following table.

Time Frame	Construction Activity	Traffic Patterns
August 98 - March 99	relocation of rail to north boulevard	access to Gardiner maintained weekend closures of LSB to construct crossings
October 98 - November 98	preparation of detour route along Commissioner's
April 99 - October 99	reconstruction of EB Lake Shore construction of 1 new ramp	access to Gardiner maintained EB Lake Shore detoured via Don Roadway/ Commissioner's/Leslie
October 99 - October 2000	Demolition of Gardiner: reconstruction of WB Lake Shore construction of 2nd ramp demolition of Gardiner as follows - Saulter - Booth Fall 99 Film Studio District Winter 99 Booth - Carlaw Spring 2000 Can Roof - Leslie Summer 2000	access to Gardiner is maintained via new ramp EB and WB LSB detoured via Saulter/Commissioner's/Leslie
April 2001 - July 2001	Final course paving, landscaping, clean-up

(10)Motion:

The Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to investigate the feasibility of easterly and westerly extensions of the bicycle trails on Lake Shore Boulevard and report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

Response:

Presently a mixed use pedestrian-bicycle trail is included in the design of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project. This trail will be located on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard East between the Don Roadway and Leslie Street.

To the east of Leslie Street, the Martin Goodman Trail is located on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard East. This trail currently follows the alignment of the eastbound off-ramp in the southeast corner of the Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard intersection, then continues south along the east side of Leslie Street. Under the dismantling project, the off-ramp from the Expressway would be removed. This will allow for a direct connection from the Martin Goodman Trail to the Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East intersection. This could be accomplished for little additional cost, and is planned to be included in the dismantling project.

A new bicycle trail is currently being planned to be located on the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard, east of Coxwell Avenue, in the former Greenwood Race Track lands. It would be feasible to extend a new trail along the north side of Lake Shore Boulevard East from Leslie Street to Coxwell Avenue to connect with this planned trail. The cost of such a trail would be approximately $300,000.00. The dismantling project budget would have to be increased to include this new trail within the project.

To the west of the Don Roadway, the Lower Don bicycle trail is located on the west side of the Don River and extends both westerly and northerly from a point just north of Lake Shore Boulevard East. The bridge which carries Lake Shore Boulevard East over the Don River is insufficient in width to accommodate a bicycle lane. A railway bridge located immediately north of Lake Shore Boulevard East and abutting columns supporting the F.G. Gardiner Expressway precludes widening of the Lake Shore Boulevard East bridge. Therefore, if a connection is to be made to the Lower Don bicycle trail, a new bridge must be constructed over the Don River.

A feasibility study on such a bridge was initiated by the former City of Toronto in 1997. This study was completed in May, 1998 and concludes that it is feasible to construct a new bridge north of Lake Shore Boulevard East at an estimated cost of $512,000.00. The study further concludes that this project would not require environmental assessment approval, based on discussions with staff of the Ministry of the Environment. This bridge could be constructed as part of the dismantling project if the project budget were increased by $512,000.00.

(11)Motion:

The Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to conduct a thorough traffic impact study on the following and report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee: the east-west delays that will occur; the north-south delays that will occur; the introduction of traffic to the north of Lake Shore Boulevard between the Don River and Carlaw Avenue; and the impact of traffic delays caused by increased rail use on the spur lines.

Response:

Existing traffic volume and turning movement counts have been checked and confirmed with the data presented in the Environmental Assessment and Preliminary Design Study. The City has recently implemented SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimization Technique) control on Lake Shore Boulevard traffic systems from the Don Roadway westerly. Since, the traffic analysis conducted for the future traffic scenarios optimized signal timing control to maximize the efficiency of traffic operations, the introduction of SCOOT does not change the analysis done originally for this project.

A number of travel time and delay surveys have been conducted recently between Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street in the east to Jarvis Street in the west. These travel time surveys were conducted for Lake Shore Boulevard, the Gardiner Expressway, Eastern Avenue and Queen Street. In essence, these surveys indicate that Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway provide the highest levels of service (i.e. shortest travel times) when compared to other east-west alternate routes such as Eastern Avenue and Queen Street.

East-West Delay:

Under the Approved Plan, east-west intersection delays along Lake Shore Boulevard will decrease significantly in the a.m. peak period and increase marginally in the p.m. peak period. North-south intersection delays at the major cross streets of the Don Roadway, Carlaw Avenue and Leslie Street will also decrease overall in the a.m. peak period. In the p.m. peak period, north-south delays will decrease in the northbound direction and increase in the southbound direction. The following table summarizes the overall change in intersection delay under the Approved Plan when compared to the rehabilitation scenario:

Overall Change in Intersection Delay on Lake Shore Boulevard at Don Roadway, Carlaw and Leslie

Direction	AM Peak	PM Peak
Eastbound	-38 sec.	+14 sec.
Westbound	-74 sec.	-1 sec.
Northbound	-51 sec.	-41 sec.
Southbound	-6 sec.	+33 sec.

At Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard, the City has implemented a signal phasing plan which requires exclusive dedicated phasing for each movement due to very limited sight distance between the existing Gardiner support columns. The Approved Plan would eliminate these visibility concerns, provide an exclusive eastbound left turn lane and allow for a more traditional and efficient signal timing plan which will increase capacity and reduce delay. In addition, exclusive left turn lanes in all directions can be provided to reduce delays to through traffic caused by left turning vehicles.

In all cases, signal timing optimization will be used in the approved plan to maximize traffic flow and minimize travel delay on the Lake Shore Boulevard route.

North-South Delays:

Concerns have also been raised by area residents regarding the infiltration of additional traffic to the north of Lake Shore Boulevard, particularly between the Don River and Carlaw Avenue.

Under the Approved Plan, westbound Gardiner traffic will be able to access the on-ramps from Carlaw Avenue, Logan Avenue or Booth Street. Morse Street is one-way in the northbound direction. Access to the Gardiner should be prohibited from Booth Street with the appropriate signs and pavement markings due to the proximity of the on-ramp. Access from Logan Avenue and Carlaw Avenue could be restricted by implementing eastbound right turn and westbound left turn prohibitions in the a.m. peak period at Eastern Avenue and Queen Street. It must be noted that such turn restrictions will impact access to businesses and residences on Logan and Carlaw. Public consultation will be required prior to implementing any turn restrictions.

Eastbound Gardiner traffic will be able to turn left to travel northbound on Carlaw Avenue, with the Approved Plan. This movement can be discouraged during the p.m. peak period, by reducing the length of the left turn signal phase during this time of day.

Prohibiting this left turn at all times would require removing the exclusive left turn lane and implementing a double left turn lane farther east at Lake Shore Boulevard and Leslie Street in order to accommodate the diverted traffic.

Rail Delays:

The use of the rail spur lines on Lake Shore Boulevard by local businesses is expected to increase in the future. As with current rail crossings, these will occur only during off-peak periods (mid-day, evenings and overnight). Delays to Lake Shore Boulevard traffic average 2 minutes per incident or train crossing. The actual delay is not expected to increase, but the number of occurrences will increase. Delay analysis conducted to simulate train crossings in the future, indicate delays will affect Lake Shore traffic resulting in queues of 30 - 35 vehicles in 3 lanes in both directions during each crossing. The queues are quickly dispersed within 30 seconds following the end of the incident.

(12)Motion:

The Interim Lead for Transportation be requested to consider the following motion and submit a report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee: that consideration of a stop-light at the intersection of Logan Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard be abandoned, and that left-turn movements in all directions be prohibited at the aforementioned intersection.

Response:

The Approved Plan indicates a potential signalized intersection at Logan Avenue. Signalizing this intersection would provide pedestrians and cyclists a protected crossing of Lake Shore Boulevard in the immediate vicinity of McLeary Park. A disadvantage of signalizing this intersection is the potential for traffic infiltration on Logan Avenue by Gardiner/Lake Shore traffic and increased delay to Lake Shore Boulevard traffic. The infiltration can be significantly reduced by carrying the Lake Shore median through the intersection, thereby eliminating left turn movements at this intersection.

The proximity of a traffic signal at Logan Avenue to the proposed Gardiner off-ramps could present operational and safety concerns, as it could introduce a condition where vehicles would be required to brake for the signal while coming down the ramp from the Gardiner.

The Approved Pan has the median extended through the Logan Avenue intersection and no traffic signal is proposed. A signal to provide protection for pedestrians and cyclists can be incorporated at some future time.

(13)Motion:

The Interim Functional Lead for Transportation be requested to review the two rail spurs which are not currently being utilized in order to determine whether the process for their abandonment can be commenced by the railway companies, and, further, that the City Solicitor be requested to investigate the City of Toronto's legal rights with respect to the closing of the aforementioned two rail spurs, and submit a joint report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

Response:

Several rail spur lines which cross Lake Shore Boulevard East but which are no longer being used will be removed as part of the dismantling project. These are being removed with the concurrence of TEDCO who owns and maintains the rail lanes serving the Port Industrial Area south of Lake Shore Boulevard East.

The two rail spurs specifically referenced in the Council resolution are those which provide rail service to a TEDCO managed property currently leased by CanRoof Corporation. We have learned that one of the two spurs is used more frequently than first thought and the other spur, while infrequently used, is important to CanRoof Corporation's operations. Therefore, we do not recommend attempting to close these two rail spurs.

As of the time of writing this report, the City Solicitor had begun the review of the City's legal rights with respect to the closing of any rail spurs crossing Lake Shore Boulevard East and found that many of these spurs have been in place since the beginning of this century. It has not been possible to date to locate any legal agreements that may exist in connection with these spurs. Staff of the Transportation Services Division have discussed the importance of the rail spurs to TEDCO and advised Legal staff that regardless of the City's legal position on the spurs it would not be possible to remove the spurs and that their removal is not required since they result in minimal delay to traffic.

(14)Motion:

The Toronto Transit Commission be encouraged to examine, as part of the current servicing reviews, the Beaches express bus as a possible regular fare service in the morning and evening rush hours, using the Lake Shore Boulevard alignment, to encourage the use of public transit.

Response:

Toronto Transit Commission staff have advised that they are examining the proposed changes to the route and fare system for this express bus service for possible inclusion in their 1999 Service Plan.

APPENDIX NO. 3

Detailed Evaluation of the Approved Plan

and the Alternative Plan

APPENDIX NO. 3

Detailed Evaluation of the Approved Plan

and the Alternative Plan

The details of the evaluation of the Approved Plan and the Alternative Plan for the dismantling of the F.G. Gardiner Expressway are provided in the following paragraphs.

URBAN DESIGN

The Approved Design includes new ramps located in the centre of the Lake Shore corridor between Saulter and Bouchette Street. This will open up the street frontage so that future development could have more of a "front door" address on Lake Shore. The Alternative Design retains the existing Gardiner as far east as Morse Street. In addition, the westbound ramp is located on the north edge of right-of-way; thus essentially precluding future "front door" addresses on the north side westerly from the Film Studio District.

NOISE

Both the Approved and Alternative Designs would include contract noise specifications to limit noise levels during construction. However the Alternative Design has more potential to disrupt film studio operations because the construction of the new ramps is in closer proximity to the sensitive areas. As a result the duration of construction in this area will be longer under the Alternative Plan. After construction, the acceleration/deceleration of traffic up and down the ramps will increase local noise levels by approximately 2 dBA and by 6 to 10 dBA for individual noise events due to truck traffic. This is not a concern for the Approved Design where the ramps are adjacent to the Keating Rail Yard but is a concern for the Alternative Design where the ramps are near the Film Studio District

TRAFFIC OPERATIONS

a)Travel Time (E-W Traffic)

The Approved Plan will require westbound Gardiner traffic to go through one more traffic signal (at Carlaw Avenue). Eastbound Gardiner traffic will be required to go through two more signals (Carlaw and Leslie) than it does at present. Additional travel time associated with having to go through these signals is partially offset by significant improvements in signal phasing which can be achieved as a result of provision of an EB left turn lane and removal of EB and WB split phases at Carlaw (which can be achieved because the Gardiner columns are removed, thereby improving sight distances).

The average net effects on E-W traffic delay at Leslie and Carlaw, in the peak period/peak direction, under the Approved Plan are shown in the following table.

Net Change in Intersection East-West Delay with Approved Plan

(vs. Existing Condition)

Lake Shore

Through Traffic

Gardiner

Through Traffic

Westbound (a.m.)

+ 24 seconds

- 56 seconds

Eastbound (p.m.)

+ 11 seconds

+ 47 seconds

With the Alternative Plan option, intersection improvements similar to the Approved Plan will be made at Leslie Street, to minimize the morning rush hour delay at this intersection. Gardiner bound traffic will by-pass the signal at Carlaw, and therefore will not experience delays associated with the Carlaw intersection. No improvements to existing signal timing at Carlaw are possible with the Alternative Plan (due to the presence of the Expressway columns). The net effects on E-W traffic delay at Leslie and Carlaw, in the peak period/peak direction with the Alternative Plan option are shown in the following table.

Net Change in Intersection East-West Delay with Alternative Plan

(vs. Existing Condition)

Lake Shore

Through Traffic

Gardiner

Through Traffic

Westbound (a.m.)

+ 37 seconds

- 66 seconds

Eastbound (p.m.)

- 2 seconds

+ 24 seconds

b)Access to/from the Port

At present, Gardiner Expressway traffic access the Port either via the Leslie Street or via the Jarvis ramps. The Approved Plan provides for improved access between the Gardiner and the Port area. As well the changes to the signal timings at Carlaw and Leslie associated with this option due to lower traffic demand will result in reduced delays for N-S traffic at both these intersections. With the Alternative Plan design, similar improvements to N-S delay at Leslie Street are achieved; however operations at Carlaw remain as they are today.

POTENTIAL E-W TRAFFIC CONFLICTS WITH RAIL TRAFFIC

On most weekdays there are 2 train movements across the Q200 lead (which serves the City of Toronto Main Sewage Treatment Plant and the lower Port Area) during the mid-day and two during the late evening (after 8 p.m.). On some weekdays there are an additional 2 - 4 train movements after 8 p.m. across the lead serving Can Roof. Therefore, on average there are about 6 movements per day across the leads west of Leslie

The Approved Plan requires both Gardiner and Lake Shore E-W traffic to cross the Q200 railway lead as well as two leads which serve CanRoof Corporation on the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard.

Trains operate at less than 15 m.p.h. and are generally 6 - 10 cars in length. All crossings of Lake Shore Boulevard will be designed with rubberized grade crossings and full railway signal protection. On average it can be expected that a crossing train will block Lake Shore traffic for approximately 2 minutes (twice in the mid-day and four times in the late evening). It is estimated that approximately 40 - 50 vehicles in each direction, (i.e. 13 - 17 vehicles per lane) will have to stop in each direction to allow for the passing trains. The traffic queue will disperse immediately following passage of the train. The delays with the Approved Plan are summarized in the following table.

Traffic Delays caused by Rail Crossings 6 times/day - off peak

Lake Shore

Through Traffic

Gardiner

Through Traffic

Westbound

2 minutes

Eastbound

2 minutes

NOTE: Crossing at Don Roadway not included

The Alternative Plan design allows the rail lines to remain in their current location. Therefore Gardiner traffic will not be delayed. However through traffic on Lake Shore Boulevard will continue to be delayed as it is today. Shunting at Booth Street will continue (as it does at present) resulting in delays to westbound Lake Shore traffic. The shunting at Booth requires crossing of westbound Lake Shore about 20 times/day and delays of up to 7 minutes have been observed for westbound Lake Shore Boulevard traffic. Eastbound Lake Shore traffic will be delayed approximately 6 times/day (2 minutes each time as trains cross eastbound Lake Shore west of Leslie Street). A summary of the delays for the Alternative Plan option is shown in the following table.

Traffic Delays caused by Rail Crossings 6 times/day - off peak

Alternative Plan
	Lake Shore Through Traffic	Gardiner Through Traffic
Westbound	20-30 minutes total delay per day due to shunting and through movements	0 minutes
Eastbound	2 minutes	0 minutes

NOTE: Crossing at Don Roadway not included

In summary, the delays to traffic caused by rail movements will be relatively minimal. Safety is ensured by full railway signals, as well as the slow speed (less than 15 m.p.h.) of train operations. Any inconvenience to Gardiner/Lake Shore traffic is offset by removing the shunting operation from Lake Shore Boulevard, thus improving the situation for Lake Shore through traffic.

TRAFFIC INFILTRATION

The Approved Design has ample traffic carrying capacity to ensure that Lake Shore Boulevard remains the route of choice for E-W traffic. The Alternative Design, although the ramps are further east, does not change this capacity. Therefore, there is no reason to expect any infiltration caused by E-W traffic choosing routes other than Lake Shore to access downtown.

The Approved Design will allow access to the Gardiner via either Carlaw or Logan. While this is a benefit to the Port Area there is a concern that there may be an increase in traffic, particularly on Logan. Local residents have suggested blocking Logan between Eastern and Lake Shore as a potential solution to their concerns. Turn restrictions at Logan and Eastern may also be a community option.

We are prepared to monitor the situation both during and after construction and respond in consultation with the community, to any infiltration which may be identified.

CAPITAL COSTS

The Approved Plan is estimated to cost $33.7 million in Life Cycle Costs to construct and maintain over 50 years. The Alternative Plan is estimated at $40.4 million plus property costs. While the Alternative Plan has a saving in cost by not relocating the rail line, this saving of approximately $2.9 million is offset by the following:

need to rehabilitate approximately 560 m more of the existing expressway (approx. $6.5M),

the need to construct two separate ramps (approx. $1.1M),

higher detour costs (approx. $1.2M),

the need to reconstruct more of Lake Shore Boulevard ($0.7M),

other miscellaneous costs ($0.1M).

In addition, with the Alternative Plan, property will be required from Purolator, Mayfair Racquet Club, Bucham Lumber and Toronto Hydro. These cost have not been included in the Life Cycle Cost of this alternative.

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