The the first executive committee meeting of 2015, members unanimously approved a motion to accelerate a work plan to conduct the initial due diligence on Mayor John Tory’s SmartTrack proposal
The plan, which was released last week by City Manager Joe Pennachetti, calls for $1.65 million in additional funding — $750,000 in 2015 and $900,000 in 2016 — on top of the $750,000 already approved by council.
The extra money is needed to conduct a feasibility study of SmartTrack options along the Eglinton Avenue West corridor from Mount Dennis station to the Mississauga Airport Corporate Centre, where a new rail line would have to be constructed. The 12-kilometre corridor generated considerable debate during the mayoral campaign with Olivia Chow suggesting that it would be impossible to build an above-ground rail line in the area due to the amount of residential development.
"Any project needs to have funding up front in order to do the studies, so this is normal practice for any major project and since we want to get SmartTrack up and running in seven years’ time is of the essence," TTC CEO Andy Byford told CP24 prior to the meeting. "We have to get on with this work."
Tory’s SmartTrack proposal relies primarily on existing GO Transit track to provide 53 kilometres of new rapid transit, connecting 22 stations.
Concerns raised about plan
Though members of Tory’s inner circle have already signaled their support for SmartTrack the plan could face additional scrutiny when it makes it to city council, with Councillors Janet Davis and Gord Perks among the most vocal.
“I am worried that this is going to be so integrated with Metrolinx that the City of Toronto will not have the ability to have real and meaningful input on it,” Davis told reporters on Thursday afternoon. “If we are going to commit millions of dollars to this project upfront or over time we have to make sure the public has a say over it.”
“Four years ago we had approved projects to build transit on Sheppard and in Scarborough and the mayor of the day said 'no I have a better idea.' Those lines would have been complete by now but the mayor said no. We are about to make the same mistake on Eglinton," Coun. Gord Perks added. "We are about to tell the staff to spend millions of dollars studying how to cancel one already approved project (an LRT) and think about building a tunnel underground someday. It is bad transit planning and I won’t support it."
In addition to SmartTrack, the executive committee is also expected to consider a proposal to increase the total budget for lighting up the Prince Edward Viaduct during the Pan American Games by $1 million to $3.8 million. The increase would be funded by redirecting $1 million from the budget for resurfacing the cycling road race course.
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