Ontario Line Update - by Councillor Paula Fletcher, seconded by Councillor Joe Cressy

The completed and fully approved Environmental Assessment for the TTC's Relief Line, done by the City of Toronto, the TTC and Metrolinx, deemed the appropriate rapid transit solution to be an underground line from Pape Station to Queen and Yonge. In the takeover of the project by Metrolinx an abbreviated Environmental Assessment was undertaken without the full community process enabled by a full TPAP. It has been difficult to have a cohesive and public airing of the impacts. However it is now clear it is impossible to add 3 new tracks (2 additional tracks for the Ontario Line and 1 additional track for GO expansion) to the existing 3 tracks in the corridor without a considerable negative impact on City assets - particularly the 7 local parks and the public realm. The required crash wall and noise mitigation wall has to be built straight up from the Metrolinx property line in the parks and possibly up against Jimmie Simpson Community Centre. As well, further City parks space will be required for the necessary berm at the foot of these walls. There is only one full Environmental Assessment for this segment which City Council has fully endorsed and approved. Metrolinx needs to know that City Council's preference remains an underground segment for this segment of the (former) Relief Line and new Ontario Line.