Building commuter rail in Bolton a better way to grow the city

New line would remove thousands of commuters from highways, says Sony Rai

Yorkregion.com
August 27, 2020
Sony Rai

A new report issued by Environmental Defence shows how billions of dollars earmarked for the proposed Greater Toronto Area (GTA) West Highway can be redirected to fund a series of key transit infrastructures projects.

These infrastructure projects would allow municipalities to provide efficient, frequent transit service while helping create new mixed-use communities.

A key project which impacts Bolton is the addition of commuter rail service along the existing Canadian Pacific MacTier Subdivision. That rail line is currently used for freight connections and travels north through the west of Toronto, continuing up through Vaughan, Caledon and beyond. The Bolton Commuter Rail Service Feasibility Study, initiated by Metrolinx, is a comprehensive review of the technical requirements to implement commuter rail service on this line. The study found that introducing the service is feasible.

Since this study was completed in 2010, plans to implement commuter service on this rail line have not progressed. This is a lost opportunity. By placing stations in Bolton and Vaughan, the new train line would remove thousands of daily commuters off already congested Highways 27 and 427.

Peel Region is proposing an urban boundary expansion along the western edge of Bolton. The urban centre of Caledon is looking to accommodate 10,300 people and 2,500 jobs on 185 hectares by 2031. This expansion has run into hurdles at regional council over concerns of servicing costs. The introduction of a new highway will only encourage further sprawl along the highway’s route through Caledon, amplifying servicing requirements. Another pressing concern is the lack of any higher order transit within Bolton. Increasing the population will only add congestion to already traffic-plagued roads.

The introduction of a GO Transit Station within the urban centre of Bolton would help shape its future growth from sprawling, car-dependant subdivisions to a more vibrant mixed-use and walkable community. In fact, Peel Region would be able to allocate higher growth numbers within Bolton and alleviate pressures to expand in other more environmentally sensitive and service constrained areas. It’s time Peel Region stepped up and understood highways are antiquated ways to move people and build cities.

Sony Rai is the director of Sustainable Vaughan, an organization that has been fighting sprawl and promoting healthy, livable cities since 2010.