The City of Toronto in collaboration with Metrolinx and the Province of Ontario are working to deliver numerous transit expansion projects.
During the design, review and approval of each project, the City checks zoning compliance. If a project does not comply with current zoning, the City undertakes an amendment to the City’s zoning by-law 569-2013 or other prevailing bylaws.
Please continue to check this page for updates.
Why the Zoning By-law is Being Amended
The City is undertaking zoning by-law amendments for transit projects because these projects require relief from City Zoning Standards. For example, a transit project needs to locate an emergency exit building on a property and will create a new building lot for it. But the zoning by-law would require a much bigger footprint for the new lot due to minimum setback requirements. So the City changes the by-law by reducing the setbacks to allow the emergency exit building to exist on an adequately sized lot. This way there is less land taken away from the original property.
Some common zoning issues for transit projects include: setbacks, gross floor area, lot coverage and sometimes use.
Most lands throughout the City can be used for public transit but in some cases where the existing zoning does not allow public transit as a use, the City is changing the by-law to allow the land to be used for public transit.
Process & Timelines
An interdivisional team was set-up to deliver the transit enabling zoning work. The work begins with research and drafting of zoning text and maps. The draft zoning amendments are then reviewed by legal, building and zoning staff, as well as, stakeholders such as Metrolinx.
Public Consultation
- February 1, 2024
- A virtual consultation meeting was held for Eglinton Crosstown West Extension zoning by-law amendments
- June/July 2023
- A virtual open house and public consultation meeting was be held for proposed city-initiated zoning by-law amendments for the Ontario Line.
- January 18, 2023
- A community consultation meeting was held both virtually and in-person at the Royal Canadian Legion, 3850 Lake Shore Blvd W, for a proposed City-initiated rezoning that supports improvements to Long Branch GO station. Presentation materials are available on the Application Information Centre.
- The meeting was well-attended by the local community, who provided insightful feedback on the existing station operations and redevelopment potential. Comments received will be reflected in a Final Report on the proposed rezoning, which will be brought forward for consideration by Etobicoke York Community Council on February 27, 2023, which serves as another public meeting with further opportunity for community input.
- May 31, 2022
- A virtual open house and public consultation was held for zoning by-law amendments at Finch-Kennedy SmartTrack station.
- April 5, 2022
- A virtual open house and public consultation was held for Ontario Line zoning by-law amendments.
- January 25, 2022
- A virtual open house and public consultation was held on for the Scarborough Subway Extension zoning by-law amendments.
Updates
Summer 2023
- Staff is preparing zoning by-law amendments for Ontario Line North and Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.
Fall 2022
- The zoning by-law amendments for the Scarborough Subway Extension were adopted and is now in-force (By-laws 402-2022, 403-2022)
- The zoning by-law amendments for Ontario Line (south segment) were adopted and is now in-force (By-laws 909-2022, 910-2022)
- The zoning by-law amendments for the Finch-Kennedy Smart Track station was adopted and is now in-force (By-law 821-2022)
