Toronto: “OneCity” Through Transit

Chair , Transit Commission

2012 APTA National Light Rail Conference

Light Rail Renaissance in the USA

• Toronto has something that this room and City Planners across the USA would like: Established Light Rail. • Just in the last week there have been several articles about a streetcar renaissance now taking place in the USA. • New Orleans will have a new line ready for the Super Bowl • Milwaukee and Seattle are “on track” for new Light Rail. • Milwaukee is considering bringing streetcars back after over 50 years without them.

New Orleans and the Super Bowl

• Loyola Avenue in New Orleans, connecting the Superdome and the French Quarter. As reported this week by CAIN BURDEAU, of AP , developers view the new streetcar as crucial in plans to spark a downtown renaissance. • This sounds familiar to anyone like myself, who is involved with dealing with both developers and transit officials in Toronto.

Toronto Today • A vibrant city of about 2.5 million residents • The centre of a conurbation called “The GTA” (Greater Toronto Area) which has over 5.5 million residents • The TTC has over 1.6 million rides each weekday • In 2011, annual TTC ridership exceeded 500 million for the first time ever

Toronto’s Streetcars Today

• 87 million riders annually: − 6% of total route kilometres (ok, “mileage”) − 12% of total operating hours − 18% of total TTC passengers

Toronto’s Streetcars Today – 11 routes = 82 km of service – total daily ridership = 286,000 (or more than the entire GO transit network, buses and rail) – busiest 3 routes in TTC system:

• = 57,000/day • /Harbourfront = 55,000/day • = 52,000/day All these routes are in the downtown area of Toronto.

Challenges on the Rail Front

• aging rail fleets: ₋ deterioration ₋ not accessible • operating in mixed traffic

• inadequacy of rail rapid transit ₋ difficulties in implementation / moving forward ₋ difficulties in gaining acceptance for light rail

504 King CLRV Streetcars move 57,000/day Spadina Right-of-Way makes TTC “The Better Way” The New St. Clair 512 Right-of-Way Transit-only signal phase Signal Priority - Green Light Extension

Signal Controller Traffic Active Transponder Signal Signal (facing Request Cancel streetcar) Loop Loop Stop Bar

Streetcar Approaches Loop

Priority Activated Controller Extends Green Light

Departing Streetcar Cancels Green Light TTC SP 1-14-2004 DRG. No. 11718

$8.4 Billion in Light Rail Network Improvements

There has always been some resistance to improving transit in Toronto.

In 1985, an ambitious plan called “” was introduced but, ultimately, it was stopped for financial reasons and changes of government. Little of “Network 2011” was implemented and what was done on Eglinton was filled in in 1996 at great cost.

The new network of 52 kilometres I led to reinstate in February will restart the Eglinton line and improve transit to parts of Toronto which have long-needed what the Downtown core has gotten from its streetcars, truly making it “One City”. 2007: Approved 120 kms 2010: Cancelled 2012: Reinstated 52 kms Light Rail Network – 2031 Ridership What the Newly-approved network will do is improve transit to the parts of Toronto which have long-needed what the Downtown core has gotten from its streetcars.

The Finch West 36 bus has almost 40,000 daily riders, some of whom are in neighbourhoods which need revitalization, compared to the St. Clair 512 Streetcar’s 33,000 riders. The need is great. Daily Annual Ridership Ridership Eglinton-Crosstown (approved) 170,000 52 million Finch West (approved) 75,000 24 million Scarborough-Malvern (approved) 70,000 22 million Sheppard East (approved) 65,000 20 million Total (2031 ridership) 380,000 118 million

The and Approved Plan

$8.7 B Total (in 2010$) $8.4 B Province/Metrolinx $0.3 B Federal 21 Light Rail Transit Projects for Etobicoke, and Scarborough Eglinton Crosstown LRT – 19 km - $4.98 billion Scarborough RT – 10 km - $1.8 billion Sheppard East LRT – 12 km - $1.0 billion Finch West – 11 km – $0.94 billion 52 km of LRT : $8.7 billion: – Metrolinx / Provincial funding = $8.4 billion – Federal funding = $0.3 billion (all figures 2010 $) 22

Eglinton Rapid Transit – At-Grade vs. Underground

23 What are Planning and Investment Fundamentals?

Rapid transit alignment, scope, vehicle: • meet projected future demand • provide capacity for additional future growth • attractive, high-quality service • don’t over-build capacity / “gold-plate”

24 Toronto City Council Approved Metrolinx LRT Plan

Annual Ridership 46 million Annual New Rides 23 million Trip Time Savings 25 minutes Total Travel Time Savings 58,000 hours per day (average weekday) Population Served 135,000 Priority Neighbourhoods 6 Total Network Capacity 66,000 pphpd

25 Bombardier’s LRT (above) and Flexity Streetcar (below) New-Generation Streetcars

• 204 new streetcars -- 100% low-floor

• total value -- $1.25 billion

• delivery -- 2012 – 2018 Bombardier Flexity Streetcar

Exclusive Transit Lanes Our Vision of Toronto with Light Rail Transit Urban Intersection – looking west towards Victoria Park

existing conditions Urban Intersection – Sheppard Avenue looking west towards Victoria Park

intermediate Conditions Urban Intersection – Sheppard Avenue looking west towards Victoria Park

future conditions What you need to know about LRTs • I can assure you that Light Rail at the surface works to bring communities together, to grow new ones and to revitalize older ones. • As someone who runs a system with 55-year-old subways I know it is considerably cheaper to build and maintain Light Rail. • Light Rail is not inferior technology nor is it second-class but it works best when it has its own rights-of-way. • I would choose to work and live near Light Rail in exclusive rights-of- way. • It provides the most effective higher-order transit for the lowest price. • It is an investment in your cities rather than an expenditure.