The Regional Municipality of York
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Report No. 6 of the Planning and Economic Development Committee Regional Council Meeting of September 24, 2009 2 RICHMOND HILL GO RAIL LINE EXTENSION The Planning and Economic Development Committee recommends the adoption of the recommendations contained in the following report dated August 26, 2009, from the Commissioner of Planning and Development Services. 1. RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that: 1. Regional Council endorse the recommendations of the Richmond Hill Layover Facility Environmental Assessment (EA) and Preliminary Design study. 2. The Regional Clerk forward a copy of this report to the Clerks of the Towns of Richmond Hill, Aurora, and Whitchurch-Stouffville, and GO Transit and the Ministry of Transportation. 2. PURPOSE This report seeks Regional Council endorsement of GO Transit’s recommendations on the Richmond Hill Layover Facility Environmental Assessment (EA) and Preliminary Design study. 3. BACKGROUND Richmond Hill GO Rail Line has experienced significant growth and requires capacity improvements Between 1996 and 2001, growth within the Richmond Hill GO Transit Rail Corridor has been significant with the average ridership growing about 10% per year. From 1991 to 2006, the Town of Richmond Hill’s population alone more than doubled and it is expected that ridership will continue to increase as York Region’s projected population contributes to the need for expanded GO Rail service. Various Environmental Assessment (EA) and planning studies have been conducted between 1993 and 2002 to examine the potential for GO service expansion. In 2007, the Province announced MoveOntario 2020 which provided an action plan to build new and improved rapid transit in the GTA and Hamilton area. The extension of the Richmond Hill GO line northerly to Aurora Road was included in the MoveOntario 2020 plan. Report No. 6 of the Planning and Economic Development Committee Regional Council Meeting of September 24, 2009 GO Transit identified need for a new layover facility and GO train stations Currently GO Transit provides four trains in the morning and five trains in the afternoon/evening between Richmond Hill and Union Station. These trains are “dead headed” from the Richmond Hill GO station to the Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility in Mimico (near Lakeshore on Toronto’s west end). Dead heading means the movement of empty trains to and from remote overnight storage yards to the station at the end of the rail corridor. GO Transit initiated the Class Environmental Assessment study to consider alternatives and suitable sites for a layover facility to eliminate the dead heading of trains along the Richmond Hill GO rail corridor. This would eliminate wasted fuel, labour, equipment costs, and limited track time. Canadian National (CN) owns the rail tracks and GO must negotiate the use of track time with them. A layover facility would reduce overall train movements, operating costs, and allow additional GO train service expansion along the corridor. In addition, the existing Richmond Hill GO station has reached capacity and commuters have expressed concerns with the amount of available parking spaces and congestion around the station. There is insufficient space and facilities at the Richmond Hill GO station for service expansion. As a result, the study needed to consider the construction of new GO stations to provide service to more riders within and beyond Richmond Hill. New GO Rail facilities would improve transit service levels and system connectivity The Richmond Hill Line is an essential transit service connecting major origins and destinations such as the Richmond Hill Centre, the future Yonge Street subway extension at Langstaff station and Union Station in downtown Toronto. The new Richmond Hill GO Line facilities will provide service improvements through an increase in service area coverage and will result in increased GO Transit ridership on the Richmond Hill Line and in York Region overall. In essence, more York Region residents will have access to downstream GO, Viva/YRT and TTC services through the extended Richmond Hill Line, thus improving the attractiveness of the overall transit system. These improvements to the Line would put additional pressures on downstream GO system capacity and may lead to the advancement of downstream improvements including a grade separation at the Doncaster Diamond (Bayview Avenue and John Street vicinity). Public and agency consultation was carried out as part of the study In 2007, GO Transit contacted a list of agencies and invited public participation in the study. Agencies on their contact list included Provincial, Federal and Municipal agencies, First Nations, and key stakeholders. Meetings with York Region staff were held during 2007 and 2008, and comments were provided to GO Transit representatives. Report No. 6 of the Planning and Economic Development Committee Regional Council Meeting of September 24, 2009 Study Area Corridor extended further north to Aurora Road The original study area corridor extended from Richmond Hill GO station to Bethesda Sideroad. During the consultation process Regional staff suggested that the study area be extended north to Bloomington Road to be consistent with recommendations in the 2002 Transportation Master Plan. In addition to this, the MoveOntario 2020 plan also indicated the GO Richmond Hill line extension to Aurora Road to move people efficiently through York Region. As a result, the study area corridor was extended to Aurora Road in Whitchurch-Stouffville as shown in Council Attachment 1. 4. ANALYSIS AND OPTIONS A new GO Train layover facility recommended at Bethesda Road The Environmental Study Report (ESR) provided some detailed analysis of the preliminary design options considered for the train layover site. The design layout for each site would include provisions for six tracks to store up to six 12-car trains overnight. The yard would be used for storage of trains overnight with minimal maintenance or works on the trains. Alternative locations considered for the train layover facility included: • Bethesda Road Layover site – situated on the south side of the road and on the east side of the CN Rail line. The option would include an additional CN track leading to and from the layover facility with an access road using an existing unpaved private access off Bethesda Road. • Bloomington Road Layover site – situated on the north side of Bloomington Road and on the east side of the CN Rail line. Road access to the site is contemplated through a widening of the existing bridge over Bloomington Road and connecting with a proposed GO station. This option also includes an additional CN track leading to and from the layover facility. • Aurora Road Layover site – situated on the south side of Aurora Road and on the east side of the CN Rail line. The access road would be approximately 800m from Aurora Road with connection to a train station concept. An additional CN track is also required leading to and from the layover facility. Locations were assessed using evaluation criteria including natural environment, socio- economic, cultural, and technical requirements. Each of the facility options require the addition of a CN track for new services and increased train activity. Based on the documented assessment, the preferred alternative for the train layover facility was the Bethesda Road site. The preferred site offered several advantages in comparison to the other sites with the most notable difference being that it had the least net effects on the natural environment. Report No. 6 of the Planning and Economic Development Committee Regional Council Meeting of September 24, 2009 Four locations were assessed for GO Train stations To provide additional service north of the existing Richmond Hill GO station, four alternative station locations were considered. Each of the location options include the provision for an additional future CN track leading to and from the stations. Locations considered were as follows: • Stouffville Road GO station site – situated on the north side of Stouffville Road and on the east side of the CN line. The station would consist of a station platform, building, bus loop, “kiss & ride”, and up to 850 parking spaces (with opportunities for expansion). Access is via Stouffville Road connecting with a slightly realigned Gormley Road East, and new signalization at the intersection. • Bloomington Road GO station site – located on the south side of Bloomington Road and on the east side of the CN line. The station would consist of a station platform, building, bus loop, “kiss & ride”, storm water management pond, and up to 700 parking spaces (with opportunities for expansion and a carpool lot). A signalized access is provided from Bloomington Road via a proposed grade separated access road over the Highway 404 west-south ramp. The Highway 404 west-south ramp will need to be relocated. • Vandorf Sideroad GO station site – located on the north side of Vandorf Sideroad and on the east side of the CN line. The station would consist of a station platform, building, bus loop, “kiss & ride”, and up to 1,070 parking spaces (with opportunities for expansion). Access would be provided from Vandorf Sideroad and the addition of a CN track leading to and from the station involves the construction of a new bridge over Vandorf Sideroad. • Aurora Road GO station site – located on the south side of Aurora Road and on the east side of the CN line. The station would consist of a station platform, building, bus loop, “kiss & ride”, and up to 760 parking spaces (with opportunities for expansion). Access would be provided via Aurora Road with an access road extending approximately 300m to the south. York Region’s Transportation Master Plan recommends three new stations The draft Transportation Master Plan Update has proposed new GO Rail stations at Stouffville Road, Bloomington Road, and Aurora Road as part of an extended Richmond Hill GO Line and of a revised York Region transit network plan. Preferred station locations identified at Stouffville Road and Bloomington Road Based on the evaluation of the preliminary design alternatives, the study recommended the Stouffville Road and Bloomington Road sites for new GO stations.