Ontario government scales back plans for Yonge subway extension into Richmond Hill

The Ford government is reducing the number of stations for the planned extension of the Yonge subway line and moving part of the route above ground in attempt to cut costs.

The province was initially planning to build six stations along the 8-kilometre route from Finch Station to just north of Highway 7 in Richmond Hill but a 152-page initial business case prepared by Metrolinx calls for changes to the scope of the project to address soaring costs.

The document reveals that if the province were to proceed with its initial six-stop alignment the price tag would reach $9.3 billion, exceeding the $5.6 billion budget and “significantly challenging” the business case for pursuing the project in the first place.

To reduce costs, Metrolinx is recommending that the province pare back the number of stations from six to four and have the route veer east at Highway 7 and run above ground along an existing CN rail corridor from just north of Langstaff Road.

It is not immediately clear which stations would be cut as part of the revised plan but the business case suggests that only one of the three underground stations planned for Cummer Avenue, Clark Avenue and Royal Orchard Boulevard can be accommodated within the current budget.

Metrolinx also cites preliminary analysis that suggests the costs of constructing an underground station at Royal Orchard Boulevard “far outweigh the benefits.”

It says that its preferred route for the subway extension would still attract 94,100 daily riders and reduced commute times downtown by 22 minutes on average.

But it will attract fewer daily riders and leave fewer people living within a 10-minute walk of a station when compared to the other two options that were examined.

“This was less about scaling it back rather than about getting the appropriate design,” Metrolinx President and CEO Phil Verster told CP24 on Thursday afternoon. “There were three things we were trying to achieve that the previous incarnation of the project didn’t really achieve. Firstly, we wanted to increase the connectivity between other modes of transport. The previous line, for example, didn’t interface with GO and now GO and the Richmond Hill line will be sharing a station with the new Ontario Lne. Secondly, it will also have a great interchange with bus services on Hwy. 407 and Hwy. 7 and the third thing that is really exciting is it its fits much better with the Richmond hill development objectives and with the Gateway development just south.”

The initial business case calls for underground station to be constructed at Steeles Avenue and surface level stations at Highway 7 and near Richmond Hill Centre at High Tech Road. There would then be enough money left over in the budget for one “neighbourhood station” at either Cummer Avenue, Clark Avenue or Royal Orchard Boulevard to be built at a cost of $400 to $500 million.

Once complete, the initial business case estimates that the extension will result in nearly 49,000 more people being within walking distance of rapid transit. It also estimates that there will be nearly 23,000 more jobs within walking distance of rapid transit. A costlier option with at least five new stations would have resulted in nearly 57,000 people being within walking distance of transit but it would have resulted in more than $600 million in additional capital costs and pushed the project over budget.

“This marks a significant milestone for this major infrastructure project and a pivotal moment for our community,” Richmond Hill’s Acting Mayor Joe DiPaola said in a statement issued following the release of the initial business case. “The subway extension is a foundation piece in our bold vision for Richmond Hill Centre. It will help connect our residents and businesses easily to opportunities across the GTHA and bring new investment into Richmond Hill.”

The Yonge subway extension is part of the Ford government’s $28.5 billion plan to expand the subway network in the GTHA through four major projects.

The province, however, has only committed to spending $11.2 billion on the projects and has said that it expects the federal government to come up with 40 per cent of the total cost.

Construction on the Yonge subway extension is expected to be completed by 2030, according to Metrolinx.