Ontario Line

Project Background

The Ontario Line is a rapid transit line that will connect the Ontario Science Centre to the Exhibition/Ontario Place grounds. It will be approximately 15.5 km in length with 15 stations, including six interchange/intermodal stations, that will connect to GO train services at Exhibition/Ontario Place and East Harbour, to the TTC subway network on Line 1 at both Queen and Osgoode stations and on Line 2 at Pape station, and to the future Eglinton Crosstown LRT (Line 5) at the Ontario Science Centre.

The Ontario Line was announced as part of the 2019 Provincial Budget. The project has been identified as the sole responsibility of Metrolinx in the Getting Ontario Moving Act (Bill 107) and Ontario Regulation 248/19 Interim Measures – Upload of Rapid Transit Projects. According to the Ontario Line Initial Business Case, this project has an in-service date of 2027.

Current Project Status

Project planning and design is being led by Metrolinx and is currently underway.

In July 2019, Metrolinx published the Ontario Line Initial Business Case. In January and February 2020, Metrolinx introduced the Ontario Line to the public using a series of public open houses.

Currently, Metrolinx is undertaking an environmental assessment (EA) for the Ontario Line in accordance with Ontario Regulation (O. Reg.) 341/20: Ontario Line Project under the Environmental Assessment Act.  As required under O. Reg. 341/20, Metrolinx released its draft Environmental Conditions Report for public input and feedback in September 2020. The final version of the Environmental Conditions Report was released in November 2020.

Metrolinx will be engaging the public for input and comment through Early Works and Environmental Impact Assessment reports that will be published in late-2020 to mid-2021. Visit the Metrolinx Engage page for more information and to get involved.

City Expectations

City staff assessment of the proposed project was included in a staff report to City Council in October 2019. The City and TTC will be working with Metrolinx so that the following key expectations of this project are met:

• Providing a design capacity for the Ontario Line of at least 34,000 passengers per hour per direction at the peak point (pphpd) and opening day capacity for at least 20,000 pphpd.
• Per the Initial Business Case demand projection, reducing the projected 2041 demand on Line 1 to no more than 36,000 pphpd of the line.
• Providing new interchange stations with Lines 1, 2 and 5, and GO Transit.
• Minimizing impacts to existing City and TTC infrastructure and facilities and not causing design alterations or schedule delays to planned capital infrastructure projects, including Lower Don flood mitigation measures and the Gardiner Rehabilitation Project.
• Putting in appropriate measures to mitigate impacts on the local community, such as property, noise, vibration, traffic, and visual intrusion, including in such areas as Riverdale/Leslieville and Thorncliffe Park.
• Demonstrating consistency with the City’s planning framework, including locating stations in areas where the Official Plan directs population and employment growth, with land use designations in the station area that support the development of this growth, benefiting the natural and cultural heritage environments, improving the public realm, achieving architectural and urban design excellence, and being resilient to climate change.
• Providing convenient and safe passenger movement with connecting bus and streetcar routes, while integrating facilities identified by TTC to deliver effective and flexible transit service.