A Rapid Transit Connection Between Pearson International Airport and Union Station - Supplementary Report

(City Council on March 2, 3 and 4, 1999, deferred consideration of this Clause to the next regular meeting of City Council to be held on April 13, 1999.)

The Urban Environment and Development Committee recommends that:

(1)the Mayor and Members of Council form a lobbying team to work with the Minister of Transport to achieve the objective of creating a direct rail link between downtown Toronto and Pearson International Airport;

(2)City Councillors appointed to the City's energy agencies, Toronto Hydro and the Toronto District Heating Corporation, initiate an exploration of the possibilities for electrification of the rail link with power to be provided by a co-generation facility; and

(3)the two City Council appointees to the Greater Toronto Airport Authority be requested to play a leadership role in achieving a direct rail link between downtown Toronto and the Pearson International Airport.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee reports, for the information of Council, having:

(1)received the report (January 7, 1999) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services; and

(2)requested the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services to report to the Urban Environment and Development Committee on passenger data with respect to Pearson International Airport and provide estimates of the anticipated number of trips expected between the airport and downtown via a direct rail link.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee submits the report (January 7, 1999) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services:

Purpose:

This report summarizes Council's motions regarding the planning of a rapid transit connection to Pearson International Airport and provides an update to the report on this issue dated November 27, 1998 from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services.

Financial Implications:

The recommendations of this report do not have any funding implications.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that Council receive this report for information

Background:

At its meeting on October 1 and 2, 1998 Council adopted, as amended, Clause No. 1 contained in Report No. 10 of the Urban Environment and Development Committee entitled "A Rapid Transit Connection Between Pearson International Airport and Union Station". In doing so, Council adopted the recommendations in Appendix A.

Comments:

The following is an update on Council's request to other levels of government regarding the rapid transit connection to Pearson Airport.

GO Transit

In 1994 GO estimated the cost to upgrade the entire corridor to Georgetown at $238m (1992 dollars) and to upgrade the corridor to Bramalea at $132m (1992 dollars). The upgrades to Bramalea would provide the infrastructure necessary to accommodate all-day airport rail service. In response to Council's request, GO Transit has advised in a letter dated November 17, 1998 (attached) that their review of the improvements required to accommodate all-day rail service to the vicinity of Pearson Airport has determined that the estimated cost could be reduced to $100m. The earlier estimate was based on double tracking the entire corridor. The revised estimate is based on operating conditions with single trackage in some locations.

Transport Canada

Transport Canada staff are finalizing a report on rapid transit access to Pearson Airport. It is anticipated that the report will address options for providing transit access between Union Station and Pearson Airport including extension of the airport transit system to the CN Weston rail corridor and a dedicated airport shuttle service. It is also expected that Transport Canada will propose that the private sector be involved in the provision of the connection. In discussions with Transport Canada, City staff have indicated that the rapid transit connection to the airport should be compatible with the regional commuter services provided by GO Transit. Transport Canada staff are also engaged in discussions with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority regarding the protection for the rapid transit connection in the terminal redevelopment plans. On several occasions the federal Minister of Transport indicated that there may soon be an announcement about a transit link between downtown Toronto and Pearson Airport. Transport Canada expects to release the report in the near future.

Conclusions:

City staff are continuing discussions with GO Transit, the GTAA, and Transport Canada regarding the rapid transit connection between Union Station and Pearson Airport and will report further to Council as information becomes available.

Contact Name:

Rod McPhail

Director, Transportation Planning, Metro Hall

Telephone:392-8100

Fax:329-3821

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Appendix A

Summary of Council Motions Re:

A Rapid Transit Connection Between Pearson International Airport and Union Station

Council (October 1 and 2, 1998) amendments to Clause No. 1 of Report No. 9 of the Urban Environment and Development Committee:

It is further recommended that:

(1)the federal Minister of Transportation be invited to make a presentation respecting this matter to the next meeting of the Urban Environment and Development Committee to be held on November 2, 1998; and

(2)the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be requested to submit a report to Council in November 1998, if possible, or in December 1998, with an update on whether here has been any movement from the provincial or federal governments with respect to the foregoing matter, so that Council can be informed on the progress of this project.

Urban Environment and Development Committee (July 13, 1998) recommendations:

(1)the adoption of the following report (June 26, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services, subject to Council's support being conditional upon the project including a portion of the financial cost of the required upgrades to the subway platform at Union Station; and

(2)that Council support the addition of a $1.00 airport fee to be used for the proposed rapid transit connection between Pearson International Airport and Union Station:

Staff recommendations (in report dated June 26, 1998):

It is recommended that City Council:

(1)endorse the concept of a rapid transit connection between Pearson International Airport and Union Station;

(2)endorse the conclusions of Provincial and Federal studies that the corridor adjacent to Highways 409 and 427, as shown in Figure 1, should be protected for a rapid transit connection between Pearson Airport and the CN Weston rail corridor, and request the Province of Ontario, Transport Canada, the City of Mississauga, Region of Peel, and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to pursue measures to protect the corridor;

(3)support upgrading of the Weston rail corridor to accommodate a new station in the vicinity of the Woodbine Racetrack and all-day GO service from Union Station to the new station, and request GO Transit to advise on costs;

(4)support the extension of the internal airport transit system from the airport to upgraded GO rail service in the CN Weston rail corridor as the preferred rapid transit option in the five to ten-year time frame, and request Transport Canada (in conjunction with the City of Toronto, Ministry of Transportation, GO Transit, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Region of Peel, and City of Mississauga) to conduct a physical, operational, and financial feasibility study for this extension;

(5)request the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to consider technologies for the internal airport transit system which would be capable of being extended into the CN Weston rail corridor for a transfer-free connection to Union Station;

(6)request the Province and GO Transit to ensure that the upgrading of the CN Weston rail corridor for all-day GO service to the airport is a high priority for GO Rail expansion;

(7)request the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to continue to plan for an internal airport transit system in a manner which serves passenger convenience, and to be prepared to build the transit system in conjunction with the upgraded GO rail service, or prior to, if demand warrants;

(8)request the Mayor and the Chair of the Urban Environment and Development Committee to meet with the Federal Minister of Transport to discuss Federal support for the feasibility study and for the early implementation of the rapid transit connection; and

(9)direct the City Clerk to distribute copies of this report to Transport Canada, the Ministry of Transportation, GO Transit, the Region of Peel, the City of Mississauga, the City of Brampton, and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the Toronto Olympic Bid Corporation, the Toronto Board of Trade, and Tourism Toronto.

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The Urban Environment and Development Committee also had before it the following communications, which were forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda of the Urban Environment and Development Committee for its meeting of February 8, 1999, and copies thereof are on file in the office of the City Clerk:

-(January 14, 1999) from the Chair, Urban Environment and Development Committee, inviting the Minister of Transport, the Honourable David Collonette, to give a presentation to the Committee's February 8, 1999 meeting;

-(November 27, 1998) from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services,

providing an update on the status of the responses from the federal and provincial governments with respect to the proposal for a rapid transit connection between Pearson International Airport and Union Station, and recommending that consideration of this matter be deferred until the Urban Environment and Development Committee meeting in January 1999 in order to allow additional time for responses from the Provincial and Federal Governments;

-(October 9, 1998) from the City Clerk, forwarding the communication addressed to the Minister of Transport enclosing a copy of Clause No.1 of Report No.10 of The Urban Environment and Development Committee, headed "A Rapid Transit Connection Between Pearson International Airport and Union Station", which was adopted, as amended, by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on October1and2, 1998; and drawing the Minister's attention to the amendment by Council found at the beginning of the Clause, viz:

"It is further recommended that:

(1)the federal Minister of Transportation be invited to make a presentation respecting this matter to the next meeting of the Urban Environment and Development Committee to be held on November2, 1998; and

(2)the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services be requested to submit a report to Council in November 1998, if possible, or in December 1998, with an update on whether there has been any movement from the provincial or federal governments with respect to the foregoing matter, so that Council can be informed on the progress of this project."

-(November 17, 1998) from Mr. Richard C. Ducharme, Managing Director, GO Transit, responding to Council's action taken on October 1 and 2, 1998 (Clause 1 of Report 10 of the Urban Environment and Development Committee refers) in which GO Transit was requested to provide a preliminary cost estimate for upgrading the Weston Corridor to accommodate all-day GO Service from Union Station to a new station in the area of the Woodbine Racetrack and advising that improvements associated with this service would include a rail/rail grade separation at West Toronto; track additions (full extent of additions required subject to detailed analysis), and; a new station at the Woodbine Race Track. The preliminary cost estimate for these improvements is in the order of $100 million. This estimate is also based on the assumption that no major platform improvements/changes at Union Station would be required to accommodate this service;

-(January 28, 1999) from Councillor Jack Layton, Don River Ward, recommending:

That the new City of Toronto Council formally endorse the creation of a direct rail link between downtown Toronto and the Pearson International Airport;

That the Mayor and Members of Council form a lobbying team to work with the Minister of Transport, David Collenette, to achieve this objective;

That Councillors sitting on the City's energy agencies, Toronto Hydro and Toronto District Energy Corporation, initiative an exploration of the possibilities for electrification of the rail link with power to be provided by a co-generation facility;

That the two City Council appointees to the Greater Toronto Airport Authority be requested to play a leadership role in achieving a direct rail link between Toronto's downtown and the Pearson International Airport;

-(February 4, 1999) from Harve Sokoloff, forwarding a copy of a letter to the Honourable David Collonette.

(City Council on March 2, 3 and 4, 1999, had before it, during consideration of the foregoing Clause, a communication (January 27, 1999) from the City Clerk, The Corporation of the City of Brampton forwarding recommendations adopted by the Council of the City of Brampton on January25, 1999, with respect to a rapid transit connection between Pearson International Airport and Union Station.)