STAFF REPORT April 7, 2004 To: Works Committee From: Barry H. Gutteridge, Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services Subject: Port Union Road Class EA, Lawrence Avenue East to Kingston Road Environmental Assessment Study (Scarborough East) Purpose: To report on the findings and recommendations of the Port Union Road, Lawrence Avenue East to Kingston Road, Class Environmental Assessment Study and request authority to file the Environmental Study Report in the public record in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment. Financial Implications and Impact Statement: The implementation of this project is to be divided into two phases. The first phase consists of the intersection modifications proposed for the intersection of Kingston Road and Port Union Road and is scheduled to proceed in 2005. Funds for this purpose have been identified in the Transportation Services five-year Capital Works Program and will be included in the 2005 Capital Budget request. Phase two of the project, the widening of Port Union Road, is currently scheduled for 2014, well beyond the five-year Capital Works Program. Funds to cover the cost of this phase, will be included in the Transportation Services Capital Budget request at the appropriate time. The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer have reviewed this report and concur with the financial impact statement. Recommendations: It is recommended that: (1) the recommended plan for widening Port Union Road between Lawrence Avenue East and Kingston Road and the modifications to the intersection of Kingston Road and Port - 2 - Union Road, as documented in the Port Union Road Environmental Study Report, be endorsed; (2) authority be granted to the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to file the Environmental Study Report for the Port Union Road Class Environmental Assessment Study with the City Clerk and to give public notification of such filing in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process; (3) the intersection modifications for Kingston Road and Port Union Road, as identified in the Environmental Study Report, be implemented in 2005 upon approval of the Environmental Study Report; (4) prior to proceeding with the second phase of the project, the widening of Port Union Road, staff carry out further public consultation and report back to Council; and (5) authority be granted to the Commissioner of the Urban Development Services to initiate an Official Plan Amendment to reduce the right-or-way requirements for Port Union Road to satisfy the right-of-way width as identified in the Environmental Study Report. Background: Port Union Road is a north-south arterial road located in the east end of the City of Toronto that provides the West Rouge, Centennial, and Port Union Village communities with direct access to Highway 401, Kingston Road, Sheppard Avenue East and Lawrence Avenue East. Port Union Road, between Kingston Road and Island Road, crosses over Highway 401 and currently has a basic four-lane cross-section with dedicated turning lanes at Kingston and Island Roads. A partial interchange with Highway 401 is also located on this section of Port Union Road. Between Island Road and Lawrence Avenue East, Port Union Road has two southbound lanes and one northbound lane with turning lanes at some intersections. Traffic studies were undertaken in the early 1990s for several developments that were occurring in and around the Port Union Road environs. These studies supported a widening of Port Union Road and other associated intersection improvements upon full build-out of these developments, which has now occurred. Accordingly, a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study was initiated in July 2001 to review alternatives to address the existing and future transportation demands on Port Union Road and to determine a preferred solution to satisfy any deficiencies. There are three issues that warrant the need to undertake a Class EA Study for Port Union Road: a significant amount of new development has been completed in this area since the early 1990s; area commuters have recently raised concerns relating to the operational safety of Port Union Road at certain locations; and property protection plans are required to assist staff in their review of site plan and zoning applications for redeveloping properties on Port Union Road. - 3 - Comments: Study Process: The Port Union Road Class Environmental Assessment Study has been completed according to the requirements for a Schedule ‘C’ project under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (the Class EA). As a requirement of Schedule C projects, if the City of Toronto Council endorses the recommendations of this Study, the Environmental Study Report (ESR) will be filed in the public record for a minimum 30-day review period. During this period, members of the public, and any other interested individual, interest group, or government agency may request that a Part II Order be issued. A Part II Order, if granted by the Minister of the Environment, elevates the status of the project from a Class EA Study to an Individual Environmental Assessment Study, requiring further work and approval from the Minister. If a Part II Order is not granted or if no requests or objections are received during this filing period, the project is approved under the Environmental Assessment Act and may proceed. The ESR describes in detail the first three phases of the five–phase environmental planning process set out by the Class EA: Phase 1 – identification of the problem or opportunity; Phase 2 – identification and evaluation of alternative solutions; and Phase 3 – identification and evaluation of alternative design concepts for the preferred solution. The preparation of the ESR itself and the filing of the document in the public record constitute Phase 4 of the environmental planning process. Phase 5 is the construction and operation of the project, and monitoring of impacts, in accordance with the terms of the EA approval. The Port Union Road Class Environmental Assessment Study is currently at Phase 4 of the process. Subject to approval by City Council, the ESR will be filed for the minimum 30-day public review period. The Class EA Study was carried out with the assistance of technical consultants and supported by a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of staff from the Works and Emergency Services Department, the Urban Development Services Department and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Public Consultation: Public involvement has been an integral and ongoing part of the study process for the Port Union Road Class EA Study. The public consultation requirements of the Class EA were met and surpassed. Two Public Information Centres (PIC) were held for this study. Individual meetings were also held with community representatives along with the area Councillor. - 4 - Upon commencement of the EA Study a questionnaire was mailed to approximately 6,000 households in the study area with approximately 1,200 completed and returned. The responses to the questionnaire initiated a mailing list for those individuals expressing an interest in the Study. The first PIC was held on February 27, 2002, to review the problem statement, the preliminary development of alternatives, and the proposed factors for analysis. Approximately 300 residents attended this meeting. Prior to the first PIC newspaper notices were placed in the Scarborough Mirror on February 20 and 23, 2002. Notices were also mailed to those individuals on the mailing list notifying them of the meeting. The evaluation of alternatives and the preliminary preferred design were presented at the second PIC which was held on May 29, 2002 and was attended by approximately 100 members of the public. Notices were mailed to those who had previously expressed an interest in the Study. In addition, newspaper notices were placed in the Scarborough Mirror on May 22 and 26, 2002. A full description of the public consultation program can be found in Chapters 2.5, 4.4 and 6.6 of the ESR. Environmental Assessment Findings: (1) Identification of the Problem or Opportunity The Study Area, illustrated in Figure No. 1, extends from Highland Creek in the west to the Rouge River in the east, and from Kingston Road in the north to Lake Ontario in the south. A review of existing and projected future transportation conditions in the Study Area identified a number of concerns with respect to capacity, operations and safety along Port Union Road between Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East. Specific concerns are as follows: § existing and projected future intersection and mid-block capacity deficiencies during the weekday AM and PM peak hours, especially in the northbound direction; § no reserve capacity and no potential relief of future capacity deficiencies by parallel north- south roads; § limitations of the arterial and collector road network generally caused by the major natural and man-made barriers forming the study area boundaries, including the Rouge River, Highland Creek, Lake Ontario and Highways 2A and 401; § limited access to Highway 401; and § the existing narrow curb lanes do not accommodate cyclists well. A full description of the analysis of existing and projected future conditions can be found in Chapter 3 of the ESR. - 5 - (2) Identification and Evaluation of Alternative Solutions To address the problems described above, eight alternative solutions were identified and assessed. These are described below. Alternative 1: Do Nothing The “Do Nothing” alternative provides a benchmark against which other alternatives are compared. This includes the continued operation of the existing transportation system. Alternative 2: Extend Centennial Road Across Highway 2A This alternative involves extending Centennial Road from south of Highway 2A to either connect with existing Centennial Road north of Highway 2A or to curve slightly to the west and connect directly to the Ellesmere Road/Kingston Road intersection. Both of these options would require an overpass to cross Highway 2A. Alternative 3: Port Union Road Widening This alternative would provide for an additional northbound lane on Port Union Road south of Island Road.