Mayoral candidate Gil Penalosa wants to add 62 kms of high-speed bus lanes in Toronto

CBC.ca
Sept. 29, 2022
Julia Knope

Toronto mayoral candidate Gil Penalosa unveiled his plan for the city's transit future on Wednesday -- one that bets big on bus rapid transit as an addition to the city's current transit network.

If elected on Oct. 24, Penalosa said he would add 62 kilometres of separated, high-speed bus lanes and another 30 kilometres of bus-only lanes in the city.

Dubbed "FastLane," the plan would see electric buses make stops at covered stations as frequently as subway service.

"If we want people to get out of their cars, we need to provide them with connected, fast and frequent service that doesn't take decades to build," Penalosa said in a news release issued Wednesday.

"FastLane is the quickest way to deliver rapid transit to Torontonians who are stuck in traffic."

The transit map unveiled by mayoral candidate Gil Penalosa, with the proposed new bus routes in dotted blue. The other lines represent subways and LRTs that are either currently built or in the works. (Gil Penalosa for Mayor Campaign)
Penalosa, who is one of John Tory's main challengers in the election, projects the project would cost some $3.2 billion and take eight years to complete.

Penalosa says his plan is created around the assumption that Tory's current transit plans will go ahead as scheduled.

Tory hasn't made new transit-related promises on the campaign trail, but instead touted the $28 billion worth of transit projects that are underway, including, but not limited to, the Scarborough subway extension, Ontario Line and Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.

Other cities have similar systems, candidate says
Penalosa says he drew inspiration from similar transit systems around the world, including those in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Seoul.

Closer to home, he compares it to the York Viva Rapidway, which saw the creation of $1.4 billion of dedicated bus lanes across York Region starting in 2009.

Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be delayed by about a year, source says
Penalosa also says his FastLane plan would be funded, in part, by cancelling the pricey Eastern Gardiner redevelopment project.

Here are the proposed routes for "FastLane":

• Kennedy Station to Malvern, connecting to the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Bloor Subway Line and FastLane Finch.
• Finch West Station to Malvern, connecting to the University Spadina Subway Line, the Yonge Subway Line and the Eglinton East FastLane Line.
• Jane Station on Finch West LRT to Jane Station on the Bloor Line, connecting to the Finch West LRT, Eglinton Crosstown LRT and the Bloor Subway Line.
• Sheppard West Station to Sheppard Station, connecting to University Spadina Subway Line, Sheppard Subway Line and Yonge Subway Line.
• Don Mills Station to Sheppard Station on the Scarborough Subway Extension, connecting to Sheppard Subway and Scarborough Subway Extension.
• Steeles to the Exhibition Grounds, connecting to FastLane Finch, University Spadina Line, Eglinton Crosstown and Bloor Line.
• Steeles to Bathurst Station, connecting to FastLane Sheppard West, Eglinton Crosstown and Bloor Line.

'We are going to demand efficiency'
Speaking to reporters about his transit plan on Wednesday, Penalosa also took the opportunity to tout another campaign promise: "Mondays with the mayor."

If elected, he says he would visit a different ward every Monday, speaking to the constituents about current projects underway in their area and listening to their concerns.

He also pledged to "demand efficiency" from the province when it comes to fast tracking transit plans, criticizing current delays to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

"That's unacceptable ... we're still waiting for an explanation," Penalosa said of the crosstown delays.

"I need to work with the province ... to make sure that the province will deliver on time."