Ontario-Toronto Agreement in Principle
The basic principles/parameters and conditions underlying the partnership were originally set out in two letters that the province distributed to the city on October 9 and 10, 2019. On October 29, 2019, Toronto City Council confirmed its direction regarding the partnership, as outlined in the City Employees` Report “EX9.1 Toronto-Ontario Transit Update”. Accordingly, City Council has authorized the City Manager and all other relevant municipal representatives to negotiate, enter into and sign an agreement with the Province or other relevant provincial authorities, in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in a terms and conditions attached to the City Staff Report in the form of “Schedule 6” “EX9.1 Toronto-Ontario Transit Update”. As noted in the City Staff Report, “Schedule 6” reflects the underlying principles and parameters articulated in the above-mentioned letters from the Province. This Preliminary Agreement and the additional documents referred to herein form the basis for additional agreements to be negotiated in the future between the Province and the City with respect to the Partnership. Toronto Mayor John Tory said, “Through this new agreement, we are working with the Ontario government to provide SmartTrack stations that will help us move people around Toronto. Ontario Transportation Deputy Minister Stan Cho says transit cards have not always kept pace with the growth of the Greater Toronto Area, but the revised agreement aims to break that trend. The Province and the City agree on the following principles/parameters, conditions and roles/responsibilities that underpin this Preliminary Agreement: In accordance with the above instructions from the Province and the City, this document is intended to serve as a “preliminary agreement” between the parties, thereby establishing the principles and responsibilities of the Province and the City in implementing the following key transit initiatives in Toronto: Subject to the terms of this Preliminary Agreement, the Government of Ontario of Canada and the City of Toronto have signed an amended Memorandum of Understanding for the SmartTrack Station Program. All five stations are expected to open in 2026, and the revised agreement gives Metrolinx the opportunity to procure for the construction of four of the stations in St. Clair-Old Weston, Finch-Kennedy, King-Liberty and Bloor-Lansdowne. The fifth station, East Harbour, will be delivered through Ontario`s Transit Communities Program.
Today (August 17), the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto announced the signing of a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that complements the scope and vision of the smartTrack Stations program and allows Metrolinx to move forward with five new GO stations in the city. St. Clair-Old Weston: This station is located on Union Street north of St. Clair Avenue West, between BLOor and Mount Dennis GO stations on the Kitchener GO rail corridor. The station will have two new station buildings offering connection points directly from Union Street, bicycle parking, two pedestrian tunnels connecting the east and west platforms, and connections to Gunns Road and St. Clair Avenue West. With funding from the City of Toronto and the federal government, the City will be able to leverage Metrolinx`s GO rail infrastructure in Toronto to transform regional commuter traffic into a rapid transit system. The five SmartTrack stations will join other new GO stations in Toronto, including Park Lawn, Woodbine and Caledonia, as well as four new subway lines (Scarborough, Ontario Line, Yonge North and Eglinton Crosstown West Extension), as well as two new light rail transit lines (Finch West and Eglinton Crosstown) to completely rewrite Toronto`s transit map and how Torontonians get around the city. to change. The SmartTrack proposal to leverage existing GO Corridor infrastructure to provide more frequent transit service to Toronto was introduced in 2014. Toronto Mayor John Tory acknowledges that this level of investment and significant improvements to the region`s public transit system would not be possible without cooperation between the municipality and the province. Bloor-Lansdowne: Located on Bloor Street West, between St.
Helen`s Avenue, on the Barrie GO Line, the new station will include bicycle parking, an entrance at Bloor Street (lower) and at the platform level (upper level), a plaza and landscaping at the dock, a tunnel connecting the east and west platforms and a Davenport Diamond Greenway multi-use trail north of Bloor Street to Dundas. This multi-use trail will run along the Barrie GO Rail Corridor and connect to toronto`s West Rail Trail. “Signing this AAP is an important step in ensuring that people in Toronto get where they need to get better, faster and easier. The five new stations are to be built by 2026. Name: Chris Murray Title: City Manager Date of Signing: The program will use approximately 40 km of existing GO rail corridors through the City of Toronto. Well, that means Toronto residents will be able to add the following 5 new stations to their list of ways to access Toronto`s transit system: Railway Interiors: Upholstery, Flooring and Roller Blind Systems Metrolinx will now begin procurement for the construction of four stations in St. Clair-Old Weston, Finch-Kennedy, King-Liberty and Bloor-Lansdowne. Ontario-led Transit Development Strategy (TOD) In addition to these SmartTrack stations, Ontario is also involved in four priority subway projects, the GO Rail Expansion and the new Light Rail Transit (LRT) service along Eglinton Avenue and Finch West. Subway ownership/responsibility and required access/control Provincial reimbursement of “reasonable” municipal costs The fifth station, East Harbour, is built under Ontario`s Transit-Oriented Communities Program. “When these five stations open, it will be good news for everyone. Workers will spend less time communicating; Parents will be home with their families more quickly; and Jays fans will facilitate access to the Rogers Center,” said Associate Minister Cho.
. Roles/Responsibilities – Operations and Maintenance of Provincial Projects “With funding from the City of Toronto and the federal government, the City will be able to leverage Metrolinx`s GO rail infrastructure in Toronto to transform regional commuter traffic into a rapid transit system,” Metrolinx said on SmartTrack on August 17. There would be connections to four existing or planned metro lines and light rail transit services, as well as nine local bus or tram power line local transportation services. (See map above.) Metrolinx says each of the four stations where procurement begins will be managed as an individual supply and contract, and tenders are expected to be published in August of this year and awarded in the fall of 2021. The program, which is a collaboration between the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto and Metrolinx, aims to provide more frequent high-speed transportation to the people of Toronto. East Harbour: This interchange station on the Lakeshore East GO Line, which is expected to be an important transit hub, will provide seamless connectivity to more GO and transit services, as well as the Ontario Line. This new GO station will be located in the Riverdale neighbourhood, immediately east of Don Valley Drive and south of Eastern Avenue on the Lakeshore East GO Line. The completion of this AIP is an important next step, following the initial proposal to use existing GO Corridor infrastructure to provide connectivity and more frequent transit service in the City of Toronto was shared in 2014. “The SmartTrack Stations program will transform our city`s existing rail infrastructure from a regional suburban service to an urban rapid transit system that will greatly benefit our residents and provide them with more transit opportunities.” On November 4, 2019, the Province of Ontario (the “Province”) and the City of Toronto (the “City”) (collectively, the “Parties”) jointly announced the Ontario-Toronto Transit Partnership (the “Partnership”). Partnership: Metrolinx launches procurement process for SmartTrack Finch-Kennedy, St. Clair-Old Weston, King-Liberty and Bloor-Lansdowne stations. Each station will be managed as an individual supply and contract, and tenders are expected to be published in August this year and awarded in the fall of 2021.
What does signing the AAP mean for Toronto residents? “We know we can`t do major transit projects ourselves. By working with other levels of government, we can ensure we act quickly to expand our transit system, reduce congestion, improve transit accessibility, and create new economic and employment opportunities for residents,” said Mayor Conservative. .