City moves towards widening Steeles Avenue in northeast Scarborough
Agreement on sharing costs with York Region proposed

Insidetoronto.com
July 17, 2014

The City of Toronto took a small step this week toward resolving a long-standing dispute with York Region over a route commuters from Markham could use to enter northeast Scarborough.

For many years, York tried convincing the city to accept an extension of its Markham Bypass into the Morningside Heights area, a road link would provide a quick way for York residents to reach Hwy. 401 through Morningside Avenue.

The city and environmentalists opposed the so-called Markham-Scarborough link over the Rouge River and its Morningside tributary, and by 2008 York agreed the bypass would stop at Steeles Avenue if Steeles were widened east of Markham Road.

But both sides of Steeles are within the city, which has led to disagreements between the city and region over how to pay for widening and maintaining the road, not just around the bypass but east of Kennedy Road, where plans for mall construction are complicated by the need for a GO rail separation on Steeles.

Toronto city council this week approved negotiations with York to widen and share ongoing costs on 1.5 kilometres of Steeles - from Ninth Line to 400 metres east of Tapscott Road - which would finally make it easier for York traffic to reach Morningside.

If an agreement for this widening is reached, council decided, the principles used in it could be part of a comprehensive agreement for improvements and management of the entire 40-kilometre section of Steeles between York and Toronto.

It’s estimated 650,000 vehicles cross Steeles between the region and the city every day.