STAFF REPORT

April 12, 2006

To: Works Committee

From: Gary Welsh, General Manager, Transportation Services

Subject: Potential to increase the Number of Taxi Stands Adjacent to TTC Subway Stations (All Wards)

Purpose:

To respond to a request from City Council for a report on the feasibility of increasing the number of Taxi Stands in the vicinity of Subway Stations.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The funds associated with the introduction of the appropriate regulatory signage are contained in the approved Transportation Services Division 2006 Operating Budget.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) the following 26 new Taxi Stands as described in Attachment #1, be established in the vicinity of Transit Commission (TTC) Subway Stations; and

(2) the appropriate City officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto, including the introduction in Council of any bills that may be required.

Background:

City Council, at its meeting held on May 17, 18 and 19, 2005, in adopting Consolidated Clause 16 (j) in Works Committee Report 5, requested that Transportation Services staff report to the Works Committee on the feasibility of increasing the number of Taxi Stands around TTC Subway Stations, and further that representatives of the Taxi industry, in particular Ms. Souter, General Manager of Beck Taxi, be invited to depute on the item.

- 2 -

Comments:

The issue of designating Taxi Stands in the vicinity of Subway Stations was last dealt with by the former Metropolitan Toronto Council in February, 1992. At that time, the former area municipalities were requested to implement designated Taxi Stands at Subway Station locations.

The purpose of a Taxi Stand is to provide a safe and convenient legally designated and enforced location in the public right-of-way, for patrons to avail themselves of this service in the completion of a trip. The location of the stands should not be disruptive to the general public and provide for the safe and efficient flow of all transportation users.

There are currently approximately 257 designated Taxi Stands in the vicinity of Subway Stations within the City of Toronto, with various operating times. Overall, there are approximately 371 designated spaces in the City. For purposes of this review, the vicinity was defined as Taxi Stands located within 100.0 metres from a subway station entrance. Attachment #2 depicts the existing rapid transit system and the associated subway stations.

In accordance with the Council directive, staff investigated the feasibility of increasing the number of Taxi Stands in the vicinity of Subway Stations. The criteria applied in the selection of possible additional stand locations were:

(a) the proximity and visibility of the stand(s) by patrons exiting a subway station;

(b) the safe identification of additional stand(s) location(s) for users of the service;

(c) the identification of additional stand(s) location(s) that would not interfere with the safe flow of the general public and other vehicular traffic, including cyclists;

(d) the identification of physical and operating constraints in the location of additional Taxi Stand(s); and

(e) the impact on depletion of other parking spaces available for general use.

Staff of each District examined the potential for the expansion of Taxi Stands taking into consideration the above noted criteria and potential local impacts. As a result of this review, it has been determined that at this time, there is the potential to increase the number of designated Taxi Stands in proximity to Subway Stations, by 26 spaces.

Attachment #3, specifically identifies the existing location of the Taxi Stands relative to the subway station; and, the location and number of potential Taxi Stands deemed feasible.

- 3 -

Conclusions:

In accordance with City Council directive of May 17, 18 and 19, 2005, Transportation Services Division staff examined the feasibility of expanding the number of designated Taxi Stands in close proximity to Subway Stations, in order to provide transit patrons with additional convenient transportation mode alternatives in completing their trips.

The result of our review, taking into consideration issues of pedestrian, cyclist and vehicular safety; issues of visibility and accessibility from Subway Stations; and, impact on general area parking supply and physical and operating constraints; staff have determined that at this point in time, there is the opportunity to increase the number of designated Taxi Stands by 26 spaces. The specific locations have been identified, and it is recommended that this report be approved for the installation of the Taxi Stands.

Contact:

Dominic Gulli, Manager, Traffic Operations - York District Tel: (416)394-8409, Fax: (416) 394-8942 E-mail: [email protected]

Gary Welsh, P.Eng. General Manager, Transportation Services

DG/ml/c

(p:\2006\wes\tra\west\wc06051eycc-to) - cs

List of Attachments:

Attachment No. 1: Proposed Taxi Stand Locations Attachment No. 2: Map, TTC Subway Stations Attachment No. 3: Existing Taxi Stand Locations and Potential Expansion - 4 -

ATTACHMENT #1

PROPOSED TAXI STAND LOCATIONS

(i) five on the south side of Subway Crescent, west of Aukland Road, near the , to operate at anytime;

(ii) two on the south side of Aberfoyle Crescent, east of Islington Avenue, near the Islington Station, to operate at anytime;

(iii) two on the north side of the first laneway north of West, east of , near the , to operate at anytime;

(iv) two on the east side of Old Mill Trail, north of Bloor Street West, near the , to operate at anytime;

(v) two on the west side of High Park Avenue, north of Bloor Street West, just north of the High Park Subway Station, to operate at anytime;

(vi) five on the north side of Lawrence Avenue West, adjacent the Lawrence West Subway Station, to operate 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., everyday;

(vii) four on the south side of Glencairn Avenue, adjacent the Glencairn Subway Station, to operate at anytime; and

(viii) four on the south side of Park Home Avenue, east of Beecroft Road, to operate 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., Monday to Friday.

Kipling Islington Transportation Services

Royal York

Old Mill Jane

Runnymede High Park

Keele

Dundas West Lawrence West Lawrence

Lansdowne West Eglinton Downsview St Clair West Dufferin Glencairn Yorkdale Wilson Ossington Christie St Andrew Queens Park St Patrick Osgoode Museum North York Centre York North Spadina

Bathurst Sheppard-Yonge

Dupont Summerhill Rosedale Finch Union Union St George Bay Bloor-Yonge St Clair Davisville Eglinton Lawrence York Mills King Queen Dundas College Wellesley Sherbourne Castle Frank Bayview

Toronto TransitCommission Broadview Chester Bessarion Pape Subway Stations Donlands Leslie Greenwood

Coxwell East Lawrence Don Mills

Woodbine Ellesmere Main Street Victoria Park Warden Kennedy Midland

Scarborough Centre

McCowan Subway Station Existing Number of Potential Expansion Designated Kipling 0 5 Islington Within the TTC terminal 2 Royal York 1 2 Old Mill 0 2 Jane 2 Runnymede 0 High Park 0 2 Keele 1 Dundas West 5 Lansdowne 2 Dufferin 0 Ossington 1 Christie 3 Bathurst 3 Spadina 1 St George 6 Bay 5 Bloor-Yonge 5 Sherbourne 2 Castle Frank 0 Broadview 5 Chester 0 Pape 3 Donlands 2 Greenwood 1 Coxwell 1 Woodbine 3 Main Street 1 Victoria Park 6 Warden 0 Kennedy 10 SUB-TOTAL 69 13 Lawrence East 6 Ellesmere 8 Midland 0 Scarborough Centre 0 McCowan 6 SUB-TOTAL 20 0 Downsview 0 Wilson 0 Yorkdale 0 Lawrence West 3 5 Glencairn 0 4 Subway Station Existing Number of Potential Expansion Designated Eglinton West 0 St Clair West 5 Dupont 0 Museum 0 Queens Park 6 St Patrick 15 Osgoode 15 St Andrew 23 Union 29 King 8 Queen 13 Dundas 5 College 9 Wellesley 2 Rosedale 2 Summerhill 2 St Clair 4 Davisville 0 Eglinton 5 Lawrence 5 York Mills 11 Sheppard-Yonge 3 North York Centre 3 4 Finch 0 SUB-TOTAL 168 13 Bayview 0 Bessarion 0 Leslie 0 Don Mills 0 SUB-TOTAL 0 0

TOTAL 257 26