Category Archives for "Urban Transit"

Major Changes and Unknowns with Hazel McCallion LRT

By Transport Action Ontario | Urban Transit

Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria directed Metrolinx to “proceed with the development of an initial business plan along with a strategy to go to market for bids to build both the Mississauga loop and the Brampton extension” in a surprise letter on January 17, 2024.

As with all major transit projects in Ontario, the Hurontario-Main LRT project (now known as the Hazel McCallion LRT) has had its share of drama and twists and turns.  It was approved for funding in 2014 as an at-grade (“urban style”) LRT from Port Credit to Brampton GO along the centre of Huronontario and Main Streets.  It would be largely separated from traffic in its own right of way, except at road intersections and along a segment through Brampton Main St. South Heritage Area.

During 2015, mounting pressure from small but influential anti-LRT groups in Brampton induced its council to initiate a study on other options for Main St, including other routes and tunneling.  Staff found that all options other than a tunnel on Main St. had major technical issues.

The pressure paid off.  In October, 2015, despite staff and public support (including from Transport Action Ontario) for the surface plan, Brampton Council narrowly rejected the surface option.   In response, Metrolinx reduced the project scope to terminate the project at Gateway Station and reassigned the committed funding elsewhere.  Metrolinx also complied with Council’s wish in 2017 to relocate the terminus to the south side of Steeles Ave, in order to maintain the flexibility to use an alternate parallel corridor to Main St in the future.  ( despite identified technical issues!)  

In a complete turnaround, a new Brampton Council voted unanimously in 2018 to affirm a Main St. alignment, with the issue of surface vs. tunnel TBD.  It also requested that Gateway Station be relocated further north to better serve Brampton Transit bus riders. Unsurprisingly, Metrolinx rejected these changes, claiming that procurement was too far advanced to permit changes.

The scope of the project was further reduced in 2019 when the province directed that the expensive (potentially elevated or tunneled) 2.4 km loop at Mississauga City Centre/Square One Mall was to be replaced with a spur. 

A DBFOM (30 years) contract was awarded to Mobilinx Group in late 2019, with a value of $4.6B and a construction completion date of 2024.

During 2020 to 2023, Brampton continued to study the tunnel vs surface options for Main St and took both options to the 30% design stage.  Both options were found to be feasible.  The tunnel option provided better travel times, had less impact to Downtown Brampton and had higher ridership.  But the tunnel route would cost $2.8B versus surface at $933M and take 1-2 years longer to construct.  Council unanimously supported the tunnel option, pointing out that funding the tunnel option would bring Brampton in line with per capita transit investment in other GTHA cities.

Fast forward to January 17, 2024, and Minister Sarkaria’s letter asking Metrolinx to build both the Mississauga loop and the Brampton extension after all.  Metrolinx responded by February 5, as requested, but the plan has not yet been revealed to the public.   

While this is clearly very good news, there are many questions arising from this latest development that hopefully will be addressed in the Metrolinx plan:

• Which Brampton option will be chosen (surface or tunnel)?
• Will a second station on the north side of Steeles be included?
• Will the Mississauga loop be at grade, elevated or tunneled?
• Will the timing to open the nearly-completed Mobilinx section be affected?
• What is the cost of these extensions?
• Will the Transit Oriented Communities program be invoked as another funding tool?
• Will the municipalities be required to fund portions of these extensions?
• How much will the federal government contribute to these extensions?
• What procurement strategy will be followed?

The McCallion LRT project has had many u-turns.  Vast amounts of money and time could have been saved by building the loop and Brampton portion from the start as originally envisioned – a lesson in thinking longer term.  We look forward to smooth sailing from now on.

Submission to Ontario 2024 Budget Consultation

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Latest News , Northern Ontario , Southwestern Ontario , Urban Transit

The Ontario government is conducting public consultations leading up to its 2024 Budget, expected in March, 2024. Transport Action Ontario has made a written submission on public transportation needs, with eight recommendations:

• Make Community Transportation Grants permanent
• Use a partnership approach on regional passenger rail outside the Greater Golden Horseshoe
• Work with CN to upgrade track for new “Northlander” train
• Support shortline rail with track maintenance tax credit
• Introduce provincial banking of discontinued rail corridors, i.e. “rail bank”
• Do a deep dive into capital costs and procurement model for rapid transit in Ontario
• Cancel Highway 413
• Scope new revenue tools for municipal government, and on congestion/road pricing

Our submission can be viewed below.

Capital Cost Escalation for Canadian Rail Transit Projects

By Transport Action Ontario | Latest News , Urban Transit

Cost escalation for rail transit projects in Canada is a growing concern. In a ground-breaking report in 2020, transit researcher Stephen Wickens tabulated the unit cost of completed and under-construction projects in Toronto and found a seven-fold increase since 2005, after accounting for inflation. Wickens presented this research at our Transport Action Ontario (TAO) Annual General Meeting on October 24, 2020 – see details and recording.

Wickens’ work has been picked up an amplified by others, who have raised similar alarms. In December, 2003, TAO raised this issue with Taylor Bachrach, MP and Transportation critic for the federal NDP. We agreed to send him a briefing note that can hopefully be used to initiate an investigation by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN).

The briefing note can be viewed below.

Improvements and Challenges for GTHA Public Transit

By Transport Action Ontario | Latest News , Urban Transit

Transport Action Ontario recently presented a summary update of GTHA public transit improvements and challenges to a Toronto-based seniors group. It presents a useful snapshot of the current status of this vital public service, including:

• Massive anticipated population increase drives need for more transit
• Over $100 Billion of rapid transit capital investment since 2010, but more needed
• Smaller projects underway to improve transit, including priority bus features, fare integration and on-request transit
• Long-awaited improvements to VIA Rail coming
• Challenges include operational funding, reliability and escalating cost of construction
• Summary of pending public advocacy areas

The update can be viewed below.

GO Transit – Extension to Bowmanville takes next steps

By Transport Action Ontario | Latest News , Urban Transit

The Ontario government has awarded a contract to Bowmanville Construction Partners (BCP), a general partnership between Ledcor CMI and Dragados Canada, to advance the planning to extend GO’s Lakeshore East rail service from Oshawa to Bowmanville (18.7 km extension). In 2022, Ontario had pledged $730M for this project. The planned service level is all-day two-way.

Due to substantial changes in the project since it was originally conceived in 2011, an amended Environmental Project Report (EPR) was required, and was unveiled at a public meeting in June, 2023. The project highlights were:

• New alignment. Immediately east of Oshawa station, the extension will turn sharply north to cross Highway 401 and the General Motors spur line, using two new bridges, to connect to the CP Belleville Sub at Thornton Corners.
• Construction of one or two new GO tracks in the CP corridor immediately south of CP’s single track. About 9 km of the GO line will be double tracked, allowing for ample opportunities for east-bound and west-bound GO trains to pass each other
• Install wayside power at Bowmanville station so two trains can be stored overnight

The project has a couple of interesting features:

(a) Four new stations (Thornton Corners, Ritson, Courtice and Bowmanville) are planned, but are not part of the extension project. The Province is pursuing station construction to be delivered through its Transit Oriented Communities program, and active discussions are underway with local developers.

(b) Based on the drawings in the EPR, there are no planned connections between the CP and GO tracks. While this has the advantage of operational simplicity (neither operator affects the other), it greatly reduces flexibility during any incident such as a stalled train. Transport Action Ontario has recommended that “jump frog switches” be installed between the CP and GO tracks.