Yonge North subway extension to open after Toronto's new Ontario Line: province

York Region expected to pitch in portion of cost for $5.6B extension

Yorkregion.com
April 11, 2019
Ben Spurr

The provincial government is planning to shelve existing plans for the Relief Line subway and build a subway spanning Ontario Place to the Ontario Science Centre -- and it claims it can build the much longer line years earlier than the current plan.

The replacement for the Relief Line, which the province is dubbing the “Ontario Line” and estimates would cost $10.9 billion, formed the centrepiece of transit plans announced by Premier Doug Ford at GO Transit’s Willowbrook Yard in South Etobicoke Wednesday.

The Ontario Conservative government also plans to build the Yonge North subway extension, estimated at $5.6 billion, a three-stop Scarborough subway extension ($5.5 billion), and an extension of the Eglinton Crosstown to Pearson Airport ($4.7 billion).

“Our government is investing in transportation to bring relief and new opportunities to transit users and commuters,” Ford said in a prepared statement.

“We announced the new Ontario Line to deal with the dangerous congestion on Line 1, the Yonge North Subway Extension that will connect the subway to one of the region’s largest employment centres, the three-stop Scarborough Subway Extension to better serve communities, and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension -- a large portion of which will be built underground to keep people and goods moving on our roadways.”

A map of the Ontario government's proposed transit plan

While earlier this week the premier billed the plan as an $28.5 billion investment, the government clarified that Ontario would contribute just $11.2 billion, which it said exceeded its election pledge to spend $5 billion on Toronto subways. The federal government, Toronto, and York Region would be asked to make up the rest of the $28.5 billion.

The 15-kilometre Ontario Line would be roughly double the length than existing plans from the Relief Line. The province’s version of the line would run from Ontario Place to Osgoode and Queen stations on the TTC’s Line 1, cross the Don River, turn north to connect to Pape station on Line 2, and extend to the Ontario Science Centre station on the Eglinton Crosstown. The city’s version would follow a similar route but only run between Osgoode and Pape.

The Ontario line would use smaller trains than TTC subways that could be driverless, and could run on elevated tracks on parts of the route, including crossing the Don River. The government said that although the trains would be smaller, the line would “have similar peak capacity” as the TTC’s existing Line 1 subway.

The Conservatives are claiming they can build the Ontario Line by 2027, two years earlier than the city had targeted for its shorter version of the Relief Line, which has already undergone years of study and planning work. The city has said construction for the shaft for tunnel boring machines required to build its version of the line could start late next year.

The province argues that a line using smaller trains would be easier to build, and eliminating tunnelling on parts of the route would enable cheaper and faster construction.

It also says that the Ontario Line could be accelerated by using a public private partnership (P3) to procure the project, committing funding for it up front, and not specifying it be operated using existing TTC technology.

Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, estimates procuring the Ontario Line would take two and a half years, and about five years to build.

By contrast, the 19-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown, which was also procured using a P3, fully funded by the province, and won’t use TTC trains, will take at least 10 years to construct.

Metrolinx acknowledged the province’s proposed time lines for the new project are “tough schedules” but maintained they are realistic.

The city and TTC have raised concerns about opening the Yonge North extension before a Relief Line is built because pushing the subway into Richmond Hill would only add passengers to Line 1. The province appeared to address those concerns and committed to opening it after the Ontario Line is complete.

The province estimates adding two stops to the Scarborough Subway extension at Lawrence East and McCowan would increase the cost by $1.6 billion. The Conservatives pledged “to provide 100 per cent of monies requested for the extension . . . even if the other levels of government will not.”

The government said it would complete the Scarborough extension “before 2030.” The existing Scarborough RT is set to reach the end of its life by 2026.

The Eglinton West LRT would be built underground between Royal York and Martin Grove Rds. The city had previously explored burying the line but found it would be expensive and the benefits wouldn’t outweigh the costs.

The province also clarified its plans to “upload” Toronto’s subway network to Queen’s Park. It plans to introduce legislation this spring to take ownership of new projects, but for the moment would defer taking over the existing network, with legislation planned for 2020.

“The province remains committed to the full upload of the TTC subway network,” a government statement said.

New Democrat MPP Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale) said she is “skeptical” Ford’s ambitious transit plan can be built as quickly as promised.

“When you develop new transit lines it needs to be done in partnership with the city, with the TTC and with all levels of government,” she added.

“These plans have been made in secret behind closed doors. . . .I am very skeptical that it will mean exactly what they say.”

Mayor John Tory declined to attend Ford’s announcement Wednesday, telling reporters this week he wasn’t fully briefed on the province’s plans. He’s expected to respond to the announcement Wednesday afternoon.