Dufferin Street Jog Elimination -

Effect of Abandoned Tracks on Property Requirements

(Trinity Niagara, High Park)

The Toronto Community Council recommends that:

(1)the Dufferin Street Jog Elimination project be undertaken; and

(2)the Chief Financial Officer and City Treasurer prepare the necessary reports to the Budget Committee, in order that the project can be included in the 1999 Capital Works Program.

The Toronto Community Council submits the following report (September 9, 1998) from the City Engineer, Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

To report on the effect of the abandoned railway tracks at the Dufferin Street Jog and the feasibility of shortening the proposed underpass and thereby reducing or eliminating the need for property acquisition to the north of the railway corridor.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not applicable.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Background:

The Toronto Community Council, at its meeting of July 22, 1998, in considering the July 2, 1998 report on the Dufferin Street Jog from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services (Clause No. 87 of Toronto Community Council Report No. 10), requested the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development to report to the September 16, 1998 meeting of the Toronto Community Council on the property requirements and how they have been affected by the fact that some of the rail tracks across this corridor have been abandoned.

Because of previous involvement of staff of the Works and Emergency Services Department on this project, the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development requested that we report on this matter directly to the Toronto Community Council.

Comments:

The estimated total cost in 1998 dollars for the Dufferin Street Jog elimination project amounts to $31.0 million of which $6.5 million are required for the acquisition of properties at nos. 405 and 440 Dufferin Street and no. 1258 Queen Street West.

The construction of the underpass as previously proposed allows for the crossing of four mainline tracks, one service track and two future tracks requested by CN Rail.

Currently, the service track on the south side of the rail corridor has been abandoned and the railway companies (CN, CP and GO Transit) have initiated a sharing of the mainline tracks which has raised the issue of the need for the two future tracks.

The abandonment of the service track makes the connection to the existing underpass on Queen Street West somewhat easier but overall has little impact on the cost of the project. If the two future tracks, however, are not required, the underpass could be shortened and the road profile adjusted to meet the grade south of Peel Street.

In this regard, I have sent a letter dated August 26, 1998 to CN Rail requesting their consent to delete the requirement for the future tracks.

Furthermore, I have investigated the feasibility of constructing the underpass without acquiring the two properties at 405 and 440 Dufferin Street. If the two future rails are not required and the width of the underpass is reduced from 23.5 m to 21.3 m by eliminating provision for bicycle lanes, then construction of the underpass would not encroach on premises nos. 405 and 440 Dufferin Street. (See attached Plan No. 3, road cross section A-A north of the underpass.)

However, the construction of the underpass would require concrete caisson walls along the frontage of both 405 and 440 Dufferin Street at a distance of only 1.5 m from the building faces. This would cut off the access to two existing loading doors to 405 Dufferin Street and one of the two existing loading doors to 440 Dufferin Street. Some access to these properties could be maintained further north near the Peel Street intersection, however, this would, from a traffic point of view, not be desirable on the downslope to the underpass. Accordingly, if the City intends not to acquire these properties, it would be necessary to negotiate with the owners of these properties alternate access to their buildings from the rear and/or from Peel Street.

On the assumption that CN Rail will waive the requirement for the two future tracks, that premises nos. 405 and 440 Dufferin Street will not be acquired and excluding the cost for relocating access to premises nos. 405 and 440 Dufferin Street, we estimate the total construction cost of the underpass to be $24.0 million of which $0.2 million is for property acquisition.

Conclusions:

Subject to the CN Rail waiving their requirement to allow for two future tracks along the rail corridor at the Dufferin Street Jog and reducing the width of the proposed underpass by eliminating the provision for bicycle lanes, it would be possible to shorten the proposed underpass and thus reduce project cost and the impact of the proposed structure on premises nos. 405 and 440 Dufferin Street; e.g. construction would not encroach onto these two properties.

However, eliminating the encroachment of the underpass construction onto premises nos. 405 and 440 Dufferin Street would require the construction of a concrete caisson wall along the frontage of these properties and would cut off three of the four existing loading doors. Maintaining any loading door access on the down slope to the underpass (south of Peel Street) would be undesirable and cannot be recommended. Therefore, if the City intends not to acquire the two properties, it would be necessary to negotiate alternate access to the buildings from the rear and/or Peel Street.

CN Rail has been requested in writing to waive their requirement to accommodate future tracks and we will be reporting on their response.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Denes Pataky

Senior Works Engineer

Works and Emergency Services

Toronto Community Council Area

Phone (416) 392-7672

Fax (416) 392-7874