Metrolinx's $1.2 billion dollar Georgetown South rail corridor upgrade project is rapidly approaching completion, due for the spring of 2015. The project upgrades a corridor that serves 3 GO lines and the future Union Pearson Express (UPx) airport to downtown train, and is set to see large increases in service in the coming years including a possible High Speed Rail corridor. The corridor is being constructed with the future in mind, with bridges and tunnels being designed for more tracks than will be installed on opening day. Certain parts of the corridor are set to allow for up to 8 tracks.

Map of the project, Image from Metrolinx

The project includes multiple grade separations of varying scale, a significant reconstruction of the corridor's bridge over the humber river, the elimination of the West Toronto Diamond rail-rail level crossing, as well as new stations and noise barriers.

Beginning west of Union Station, the corridor drops under the new Strachan grade separation, designed to hold the ultimate cross-section of 8 tracks to deal with the large amount of train service projected here in the near future. Opening day will only see 6 tracks however, 2 of which are dead-end stubs for the moment, and 4 of which are currently live, which is still an upgrade over the 3 mainline tracks existing before the upgrade. This stretch of tracks will carry 5 different train services; the GO Barrie, Kitchener, and Milton train lines, the UPx, and VIA Rail's Kitchener service.

Strachan rail overpass looking west, image by Forum Contributor Reaperexpress

Once the Barrie line departs the corridor just south of Dundas Street, the ultimate corridor configuration drops from 8 to 6 tracks, and continues through a newly upgraded Bloor station, where the GO Kitchener and UPx services will stop.

Bloor Station nearing completion, image by Forum contributor urbandreamer

The corridor then runs north to the West Toronto diamond, where the Milton GO line splits off towards the west, merging onto Canadian Pacific's main rail line through the city. The corridor, now reduced to 4 tracks, drops under a new grade separation to cross Canadian Pacific's rail line. This project, where trains shifted to the new underpass this September, is now beginning to approach completion with the final tracks being laid.

West Toronto Diamond tunnel, image courtesy of GO Transit

The corridor, now serving only 3 train services (UPx, VIA, GO Kitchener), runs up towards Weston. The new Denison road underpass, replacing a former level crossing just after the corridor passes Jane Street, is getting the finishing touches done before reopening to traffic.

Denison road underpass, image by Forum contributor Drum118

The project then comes up upon the newly rebuilt Weston station, where both the UPx and GO Kitchener trains will stop.

New Weston GO/UPx station, image by Forum contributor Drum118

Shortly after departing Weston station, trains will drop into the new 360 metre-long Weston tunnel, crossing under King and Church streets. 

Workers laying tracks in the Weston Tunnel, image courtesy of GO Transit

After returning to ground level from the Weston Tunnel, the corridor crosses Weston Road, which has had its bridge replaced and widened as part of the project.

The Weston Road bridge, during construction, mid-summer, image by Craig White

The Corridor then crosses the newly rebuilt Humber River bridge, which has been widened from a single track to 4 tracks.

Approach to Humber River bridge, showing the 4 tracks. Image by Forum contributor Drum118

After crossing the river, the corridor crosses under the 401, and approaches Etobicoke North station. Tracks under the 401 underpass are being relaid to accommodate 3 tracks. A new underpass will have to be constructed to get a fourth track under the multi-lane expressway.

401 underpass from the Etobicoke North GO station, image by Forum contributor Drum118

Looking northwest from Etobicoke North station, image by Joseph Benesh

The UPx trains turn off the corridor several kilometres further on past the 427 underpass, marking the end of corridor upgrades. Beyond there, the new UPx service has a now-completed elevated rail spur running to Pearson International Airport. UPx trains are already doing preparatory testing for the introduction of the service in the spring.

UPx train traveling on new elevated spur to Pearson International Airport. Image by Forum contributor Vegetaskyline

We will be back to cover significant milestones as more improvements are made in the corridor. More information for the UPx is available in our dataBase file, linked below. Feel free to add your comments in the space provided on this page, or choose the associated Forum thread link to get in on the discussion.

UrbanToronto is embarking on a week's worth of stories on public art now under consideration or recently dedicated in the city, with one story for each day this week. The stories will cover art being installed at the base of sky-scraping condos and commercial buildings, and in neighbourhoods where beefed up transportation is soon to be running through, which is where we kick things off today… 

Last week GO Transit held a public consultation for artwork proposed for two sound walls that will be constructed in the area near Dundas West subway and Bloor GO stations. These sound walls are being constructed in efforts to tone down the increased rumblings that will come with upcoming more frequent GO Train services and the new eight-times hourly Union Pearson Express train, scheduled to begin operation in mid-2015.

Map of sound wall locations, courtesy of GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx

The first wall will be 7 metres long on a section of the West Toronto Railpath south of Bloor and parallel to Perth Avenue, while the second will be on the west side of the tracks, spanning 15 metres at the terminus of Ritchie Avenue. Both walls will be three metres high. The project has four shortlisted proposals pending and the public is asked to give their feedback on each so that the final product will reflect the community's tastes.

The first proposal is called "!De Facto Public¡" designed by Paul Aloisi. Aloisi, whose practice centres around public art, hopes to design the two murals through a multi-step and community-inclusive process. He would begin by hosting a full-day public design workshop where members of the community would create play structure models for a hypothetical Ritchie Avenue Park created from recycled materials. Based on what is created at this workshop, Aloisi would then crate two mural walls that would reflect the aesthetic of these play-structures. He would do this by using his 3D drafting and AutoCAD skills to create a 2D composition designed in the same language as these play-structures.

Example of finished mural created using community designs, image by Paul Aloisi

For a more thorough look at Paul Aloisi's proposal, you can download this PDF.

The second proposal would add a work to Elicser's already widely-seen collection of Toronto street art like the Beatrice Street "Movemeber" mural and the Dovercourt BIA mural. Elicser, a graffiti artist, works to show the positive attributes of his medium while using it as a tool to create more positive and safe public spaces. The concept behind the work for these two walls is showcase the essence of the community in these neighbourhoods by paying visual homage to their efforts to maintain their neighbourhoods' wildlife and greenery as well as its heritage buildings.

Proposed mural design for a part of Ritchie Avenue sound wall, image by Elicser

For a more thorough look at Elicser's proposal, you can download this PDF.

A neighbourhood native, Kwest, has come up with the project's third proposal. His design focuses on the outdoor spaces in the south Junction community. He will create an "abstract mosaic" design which will will weave in themes and representations of nature, people, transportation infrastructure, and community in an abstract composition. Kwest takes into consideration the fact that the walls will be viewed from a variety of vantage points—the rail path, the park, and the street—and designed a work to be appreciated as a whole from afar, and in detail when seen up close.

Proposed mural Design for east wall of railpath, image by Kwest

For a more thorough look at Kwest's proposal, you can download this PDF.

The fourth proposal is a collaboration of three artists—Oliver Pauk, Sally Hood Ranscombe and Michael Vickers—members of the Akin Collective. The work will use mirrored plexiglass as well as solar-powered LED lighting. This works to be both interactive, but also symbolic of the neighbourhood's introspective ethos and vibrancy. The wall will have a varied topography with some parts remaining flat and other sporting crystalline projections. The trio hopes to use their public feedback to decide on which shapes and colours to incorporate. 

Proposed mural Design for east wall of railpath, image by Oliver Pauk, Sally Hood Ranscombe and Michael Vickers

For a more thorough look at the Pauk/Hood Ranscombe/Vickers' proposal, you can download this PDF.

The decoration of these sound walls is part of a Beautification Project within the GTS Project. Metrolinx has partnered with StreetARt Toronto (StART) to see that many of the new walls along the corridor will be transformed into public-facing murals. Public consultations are integral to the process of seeing sound walls and other transportation infrastructure turned into vibrant artworks. These consultations facilitate local, neighbourhood-inspired art while lessening the chances of vandalism and graffiti. There have been 10 public facing areas—bridges, underpasses and retaining walls, to name a few—that will be adorned under the project's scope. Among these are the Strachan Avenue overpass and the Kipling Avenue bridge. 

GO Transit is interested in your feedback. Please email gts@gotransit.com by tomorrow, Tuesday December 5, at 5:00 PM to have your say.

Construction on the Union Pearson Express (UPX) continues, with a completion date scheduled in the Spring of 2015. Developed by Metrolinx and built by EllisDon, the train will connect Union Station in Downtown Toronto with Pearson International Airport, both set to welcome twice as many visitors by 2031 than they do today. In the short term, UPX will help to handle the Pan Am Games crowds this Summer by providing a more direct and reliable way to reach downtown or the airport. Indeed, the trains will run every 15 minutes and reach their final destination in 25 minutes only. 

Map of the future Union Pearson Express line, image courtesy of Metrolinx

For the March 3, 2015 Metrolinx Board Meeting, UPX released a precise readiness update. Starting with Union Station, we learn that the 18,396 square foot space, spreading over two levels, is now structurally finished. Interiors and the exterior signage and way-finding system are being worked on now. The 64 sliding glass doors that seal the station from the elements to provide a climate-controlled environment have been installed along the platform and tested. They will open in synchronization with the train doors and improve safety for passengers waiting to get aboard by blocking the access to the rails.

Trains will leave Union Station every 15 minutes, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Currently underway are the installation of features such as info-screens, fare and WiFi systems, airline check-in kiosks, PRESTO validators, ATMs and furniture. The future retail spaces are being designed and fitted out. UPX's main partner, CIBC, will provide free access to the internet on trains and at stations and will open a lounge known as the UPstairs lounge at Union Station.

The CIBC UPstairs lounge at Union Station, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Moving on to the stations located in-between the extremities of the line, the Bloor and Weston stations both necessitated the construction of three 73-metre long concrete platforms, now poured. They are equipped with a snow-melting system to keep the platforms accessible and safe at any time of year. Integrated with the GO and TTC transit systems to provide passengers with a direct and easy connections with other modes of transit, these stations are now also equipped with weather-proof shelters, canopies, and are accessible to disabled people. Signage, elevator access, passenger drop-off areas, and info-screens are yet to be put in place, but will be in the upcoming months. 

The Weston Station, featuring a canopy and weather-proof shelters, image courtesy of Metrolinx

The Pearson Airport station at Terminal 1 represents 808 m2 of finished space sitting 28 metres above the ground. It is now complete with 4.5-metre high windows, oak cladding throughout the interior, platform screen doors, fixtures and furniture, way-finding and signage, flight info screens, PRESTO validators, and ticketing kiosks all installed and tested.

Pearson Station at Terminal 1, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Infrastructure-wise, the Georgetown South rail corridor 60km of new tracks laid while 200,000m3 of concrete were poured to either widen or modify the existing bridges and build tunnels, allowing for both the increased GO service and the UPX to run at the same time, both ways. To link the Georgetown South rail corridor to the airport an elevated, 3-km long spur line soaring 28 metres above ground and standing on 70 piers was built. This is the longest elevated bridge in Ontario, threaded above a complex road system. 

The 3-km long spur line is the longest elevated bridge in Ontario, image courtesy of Metrolinx

As of today, 18 vehicles have been manufactured, with 16 shipped to Toronto. 12 have received track worthiness certification, while the remaining ones are being tested at speeds up to 145 km per hour.

Inside the trains, many features are aimed at giving riders the best possible experience during their trip. Upcoming stop information and and up-to-date flight information will be displayed on more than 248 infotainment screens throughout the system (many of which are on the platforms), supplemented with voice announcements. Security will be ensured by CCTV and passenger assistance alarms. Extensive overhead and luggage storage shelves will be available throughout the trains, while internet ports and charging outlets located by the seats will keep patrons connected. Finally all maintenance, operations, security and emergency protocols have been finalized, as the operation crew is being recruited and trained. 

A UPX train at Pearson Station, image courtesy of Metrolinx

37 tests were conducted to ensure the best customer satisfaction, with 300 elements captured through the eyes of the customer and UPX's Information Technology and Communications committee.

We will be back to cover significant milestones as the Union Pearson Express line opens in the Spring. More information about the project is available in our dataBase file, linked below. If you want to get involved in the discussion, leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page, or click on the associated Forum thread link.

Earlier today, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne took a pre-opening ride on the new Union Pearson Express (UP Express), where she announced an opening date for the express service linking Union Station with Pearson International Airport. On June 6th, just over one month before the start of the 2015 Pan Am Games, the line will enter service, shuttling passengers between Toronto's primary rail station and airport.

Train on the Union Pearson Express, image courtesy of Metrolinx

This announcement adds to what has already been an big week for transit enthusiasts, following on a TBM move for the Crosstown LRT, and a funding commitment for the Hurontario-Main LRT. All are part of the provincial government's Moving Ontario Forward plan, set to invest billions of dollars in funding to build transit and infrastructure projects across the province.

UP Express trains will run at 15-minute intervals, with stops along the way serving Bloor and Weston GO stations, and the whole ride will take just 25 minutes. To allow such a quick trip without interfering with existing road and rail routes, over 60 kilometres of track needed to be installed on the Georgetown South rail corridor, 200,000 m3 was poured to modify bridges and construct tunnels, and a massive 3 kilometre elevated spur was built into the airport. The spur, the most visible element in the project, is 28 metres tall at its highest point and is supported by 70 concrete piers.

As opening day fast approaches, the stations themselves are nearing completion. The large barrel-vaulted section of the SkyWalk, just west of the main Union Station building, is now the site of the entrance to the Union Station UP Express platform. All four of the line's stations will be sealed off from the elements with platform screen doors only opening once a train has stopped at the station, keeping the stations warm in cold weather.

Union UP Express station, viewed from the SkyWalk, image by Jason Paris

The UP Express is projecting a ridership of 2.35 million passengers for 2018, just three years after the opening. Ridership is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, as Union Station and Pearson Airport are anticipating a combined volume of 190 million travelers per year by 2031, nearly double the current traffic. The cost of an end-to-end ride on the UP Express will be $19 for those with a Presto Card.

Additional information and renderings of the Union Pearson Express can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

Earlier today, UrbanToronto toured the soon-to-be open Union Pearson Express terminal at Union Station. Situated along the SkyWalk, slightly west of Union Station's central building, the new station is set to greet passengers with panoramic views and a warm, welcoming interior, as the UP Express prepares to enter into service on June 6th.

Designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects, the new Metrolinx facility provides an efficient and comfortable connection between the country's largest airport and busiest rail hub. Directly connected to the TTC, GO Transit, and VIA Rail—as well as the 14km PATH network—the Union Station platform offers a smooth transition between the airport and the bustling heart of the city.

    The platform at Union Station, image by Jack Landau

Inside, the station is clad in a bright oak veneer, softening the natural light that pours in through the panoramic windows. While the views to the south and west show off some of Toronto's tallest and most impressive skyscrapers—including the CN Tower, the cosmopolitan grandeur outside is met by a calm and naturalistic interior.

    The Y columns "symbolize hands up in the air" -Kathy Healy, image by Jack Landau

According to Kathy Haley, Union Pearson Express President, the design of the trains, stations, and staff uniforms, is meant to evoke the landscapes and climates of Ontario. With a wooden interior accented by notes ofcolour—sage, copper, and pumpkin—representing Ontario's rich autumn foliage, a distinctly urban experience remains soothingly grounded in natural heritage. Amidst the rush and anxiety that often accompanies travel, the UP Express platform offers the welcome respite of a calm, stress-free space.

  Kathy Healy, President, UP Express, image by Marcus Mitanis

With trains to Pearson departing every 15 minutes, the UP Express also provides a reliable alternative to the unpredictability of city traffic. While the journey itself only takes 25 minutes, the platform is also equipped with screens displaying flight status, as well as early check-in facilities for AirCanada and WestJet (with other airlines pending), making for a more efficient and predictable travel experience.

   Flight status displays and self check-in counters, image by Marcus Mitanis

At platform level, guests are greeted with comfortable seating and a large west-facing window showcasing Toronto's rising South Core. On the second floor, the expansive CIBC "UPstairs" lounge (still in the final stages of construction) will provide another comfortable and open seating space. Meanwhile, the main level also features CIBC ATMs dispensing five types of international currency, while touch-screen ticket machines and Presto card readers offer a simple and user-friendly fare system. 

  Ticket machines and Presto readers, image by Craig White

The platform level also features a central information desk staffed by UP representatives to assist guests with any questions and concerns. Rounding out the main level, the eastern end of the platform features convenient retail space, including a Balzac's Coffee Roasters outpost (selling "UPcakes" and "UP Expresso") steps away from the train.

Balzac's Coffee Roasters, image by Craig White

The station's other anchor retailer is the Drake General Store, which offers an entirely Canadian-made range of gifts and apparel. Balzac's and the Drake General Store are soon set to be joined by a rotation of pop-up stores, which will highlight local cultural institutions like the AGO and the Second City, both of whom will be among the first temporary tenants.

    The Drake General Store, image by Craig White

A unique range of UP branded apparel is available at the Drake General Store; in this case, this jacket is tagged with the coordinates of Union Station.

      UP Express Apparel, image by Craig White

The UP Express station is fully enclosed and climate controlled, with platform screen doors that minimize passengers' exposure to the elements. This allows passengers leaving from the station to board their flights without setting a foot outside between Downtown Toronto and Dubai or Dublin or Dusseldorf. Level entry also means that potentially cumbersome luggage and strollers roll onto the train with ease.

Boarding the train, image by Jack Landau

The 1,672 square metre station is spacious, centrally located, and fully accessible; a rare transit hub both aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate.

We will return in the coming days with photos from our visit to UP Express' Pearson Airport station, as well as our ride on the train! In the meantime, additional information and renderings of the Union Pearson Express can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

On June 6th, Toronto transit is set to reach a major milestone with the opening of the Union Pearson Express, connecting two of the foremost transit hubs in Canada with an airport rail link. On May 25th, UrbanToronto rode the new Metrolinx train from Union Station to Pearson International Airport, previewing the journey 1.5 million riders are projected to make in the coming year.

         The new trains were suplied by Sumitomo and Nippon Sharyo, image by Marcus Mitanis

The journey begins from the spacious Union Station platform (profiled yesterday), where we board one of the UP Express' new Nippon Sharyo DMU trains, set to make the 25 minute trip to Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport.

Stepping onto the train, image by Jack Landau

Stepping through the level-entry platform screen doors, the interior decor of the train is characterized by soft earth tones, with a subtle interplay of copper, pumpkin, and sage (the official colours of the UP Express) hues seen on the interior fabric (below). Likewise, the otherwise sleek, metallic exterior (above), is accented by stripes of the same colour pallet, giving the train a discrete yet recognizable style.

        A look inside, image by Jack Landau

Riding the UP Express is relaxing and comfortable, with the smooth passage of the train a far cry from rush hour traffic of the 401. The cabin configuration is spacious, with a wide central corridor and ample space for luggage provided in the racks at the front and back of each cabin. Each seat comes equipped with an electrical outlet, while fold-down tray tables accommodate food and drink, as well as computer use—the trains and stations are equipped with free, high-speed wi-fi—which will prove a certain boon to time-strapped business travelers, fidgety children, and everyone in between.

        A look at the tray table, image by Jack Landau

As the train departs Union Station, an impressive urban vista immediately presents itself from the large windows. Picking up speed, views of South Core and the Financial District skyscrapers quickly give way to CityPlace and Fort York, then Liberty Village and the Gladstone Hotel.

Leaving Union Station, image by Marcus Mitanis

Past Dufferin Street, we race by an eclectic collage of west end row houses, older industrial buildings, and slab apartment towers. After stopping at Bloor Street and at Lawrence Avenue and passing through a couple of gently raked tunnels, we suddenly find ourselves passing over the leafy Humber River ravine, the city views now replaced by golf course and forest. Moving towards Malton, we get a close-up glimpse of the Woodbine Racetrack as the train nears its final destination at Terminal 1.

Passing by the Woodbine Racetrack, image by Jack Landau

Since our test run only briefly pauses at the Bloor and Weston stations, our entire journey takes only slightly over 20 minutes. Even with the two full stops during revenue service, however, the ride will take just under 25 minutes, giving travelers a scenic tour through a diverse cross-section of Toronto neighborhoods while minimizing total travel time.

    The UP Express leaving Pearson International Airport, image by Marcus Mitanis

On the technical side, the UP Expresses' new Nippon Sharyo DMU trains make this the first rail service in North America to use Tier 4 diesel, reducing emissions by 80-90% compared to previous technology. Metrolinx has purchased 18 cars in total, which can operate in a two-car (seen above) or three-car configuration, seating between 115 and 173 passengers respectively. The service will operate between 5:30 and 1:00 AM daily, making approximately 140 trips per day in total. 

Leaving Pearson International Airport, image by Marcus Mitanis

We will return tomorrow with photos from our visit to UP Express' platform at Pearson, and we will provide further updates when Toronto's long-anticipated airport rail link enters into regular service on June 6th. Until then, we leave you with a video of highlights from the journey:

Additional information and renderings of the Union Pearson Express can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

Earlier this week, UrbanToronto toured the facilities of the new Union Pearson Express service, previewing the Metrolinx airport rail link set to enter service on June 6th. We began with a tour of the Union Station platform, followed by a ride on the train to the airport. Our coverage concludes with a tour of the UPX station at Terminal 1 of Toronto Pearson International Airport, which is projected to welcome upwards of 1.5 million passengers in its inaugural year.

The station, located 150 metres from Terminal 1's main building, will be connected to the airport via a moving walkway, providing passengers with a convenient connection between downtown Toronto and Canada's largest airport.

    The UP Express arrives at Terminal 1, image by Craig White

Like the platform at Union Station, the T1 platform—designed by MMM Group Limited—features level entry and platform screen doors, which serve to maintain a comfortable, climate controlled interior year-round. The level entry, meanwhile, ensures that the train is fully accessible, and that boarding with luggage or a stroller is hassle-free.

        A closer look at the wood veneer and Y columns, image by Jack Landau

Stylistically, there is a sense of cohesion between the T1 platform and its counterpart at Union Station. Though designed by different architects (the Union platform was designed by Zeidler) to fit very different spaces, elements of stylistic continuity are maintained throughout the project. The bright wood veneer and Y columns are common to both stations, as is the abundant natural light and sense of openness.

    The PRESTO machine, image by Craig White

Both stations feature touch-screen ticket machines, while the T1 platform is also equipped with a full Presto machine (above), as well as the smaller Presto card readers.

Pulling into the station, image by Marcus Mitanis

At the north end of the station, floor-to-ceiling windows present a panoramic view of the airport area, while the south end will connect to fast-moving walkways and Terminal 1 (below, with gate closed for the moment). Unlike the platform at Union Station, there is no space for retail or a lounge, though these amenities—and many more—can be found in plentiful supply throughout the airport.

Looking towards Terminal 1, image by Jack Landau

We will return with updates and photos as the Union Pearson Express officially enters into service on June 6th. In the meantime, additional information and renderings of the Union Pearson Express can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

With a working population of nearly half a million, Toronto's burgeoning Downtown is the premier economic region in Canada, with the greatest output of prosperity generated in the heart of the country's largest city. The second largest? It's not in Vancouver, or Montreal, or Calgary. Employing some 300,000 people, the second largest economic region in the country is the area surrounding Pearson International Airport.

While the area's employment numbers are impressive, a new report argues that the lack of accessible transit presents a crucial hindrance to long-term economic potential. Prepared by Urban Strategies for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the report's findings demonstrate "an urgent need for a multi-modal transit hub... in this key area." 

An aerial view of Pearson International Airport, image by Jack Landau

Unlike many of Canada's largest economic clusters, the area is not a Downtown transit hub, with "very limited transit connectivity" giving workers few commuting options. Instead, the area's robust economic output is attributed to its proximity to Canada's largest airport, which served a record 41 million passengers last year, directly connecting to 67% of the global economy. Located "at the convergence of five 400 series highways," most of the employment zone—which straddles the borders of Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto—is in Peel Region, which is "itself the fastest growing in the GGH." 

A new hub could effectively knit together existing but disparate services into a more effective network, image courtesy of GTA

In the midst of the region's fast-paced growth as an employment centre, however, the report notes that "traffic congestions is reaching critical levels." Given the infrastructural limits and comparative inefficiency of automobile-based transportation, "[t]he creation of a new regional transit hub serving Toronto Pearson and the surrounding employment area would represent potentially one of the most effective, efficient, and productive transit investments in the region."

Though the much-publicized UP Express delivers an express rail connection to Downtown, Pearson continues to trail many other large international airports in transit options. The share of passengers using transit to reach the airport remains low at 8%, while much of the surrounding area remains somewhat underserved.

Comparing Pearson to other worldwide airports in transit connectivity, image courtesy of GTAA

Nonetheless, the report argues that "Toronto Pearson is well situated to evolve into something more functional and valuable for the region." Given the variety of transit networks (seen below) that serve the surrounding areas, the creation of a secondary transit hub—alongside Union Station—could effectively knit together a wealth of transit services into a more cohesive and efficient network. (The recently revived western extension of the Crosstown LRT would likely prove a good starting point.)

An overview of the transit services that approach Pearson, image courtesy of GTAA

The report touts the multi-modal transit hub as a driver of local job growth and regional prosperity, growing the airport employment area while facilitating more fine-grained, interconnected transit service across the GGH. For Toronto—currently the 8th most congested city in North America—the productivity lost to commute time could markedly decrease, with the added benefit of a more environmentally-friendly transit network.

We will keep you updated as the preliminary plans for a multi-modal transit hub at Pearson continue to evolve. What do you think of the report? Feel free to make your voice heard by leaving a comment in the space below this page, or by joining the ongoing—and informative—conversation on our Forum. 

Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig and Ontario Minister Stephen Del Duca announcing the Don Yard expansion, image, Jack Landau

Ontario and Metrolinx are taking yet another step toward implementing regional express rail service along GO Transit rail corridors. Ontario's Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca and Metrolinx chief executive officer Bruce McCuaig visited GO's Don Yard this morning to announce that the government and its regional transit agency are upgrading and expanding the yard.

Metrolinx already stores some GO trains in the Don Yard. The expansion will allow it store and maintain more, image, Jack Landau

Construction at the site near Lake Shore Boulevard East and Cherry Street will result in more facilities to store and maintain GO and Union Pearson Express trains near GO's busy Union Station hub. That means that trains will spend less time "deadheading"—traveling between the maintenance facility and the station before or after they serve passengers.

According to McCuaig, “The upgrade will help us reduce deadhead trips, fuel consumption and costs, crew hours, and congestion within the Union Station Rail Corridor at peak travel times.”

Del Duca explained, "The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is expected to be home to nearly 10 million people by 2041. To support the busy Union Station hub, we need to ensure we are planning with the future in mind."

Ten million people will live in the region by 2041. Some of them already live in new developments near the yard, image, Jack Landau

The project includes modifying existing tracks and creating three new storage tracks, 300 meters of new concrete retaining walls, a substation upgrade, and compressed air systems that will reduce train noise and allow trains to shut down during layover periods. In three years these new tracks will become mainline tracks as part of the RER expansion. They are designed to meet mainline standards.

The project will cost Ontario taxpayers $17.1 million with Metrolinx planning to complete it by spring, 2018.

Want to share your thoughts about these projects? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join the conversation in our associated Forum thread.

It's only a fantasy for now, but one day—maybe, not so long from now—passengers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport will have multiple transit options to reach destinations in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.

In this fantasy future, they could still board a Union Pearson Express train to get Downtown, like they do today. But they could also board light rail trains to travel along Eglinton or Finch Avenues to reach central and northern parts of Toronto. Or they could climb onto one of GO's Regional Express Rail (RER) trains to travel to Brampton, Georgetown, Acton or Guelph. For those heading further west, a high-speed rail line would link the airport to Kitchener, London and Windsor.

Today, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) moved this fantasy a few steps closer to reality.

A wide view of the transit hub and passenger processing centre, looking south, image GTAA

The agency that owns and operates the airport has unveiled its plans to build a multi-modal transit hub at Pearson over the next ten years. The regional transit centre would connect the airport area to key employment and residential areas throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It would also house the airport's passenger processing centre, including security screening.

The GTAA argues that the proposed transit centre will help address the low number of transit trips in the area—less than 10 per cent of commuters take transit to and from the area. The centre will potentially connect a number of transit lines that are already in development or have been proposed by various levels of government, including the Crosstown West LRT line; the Finch West LRT, the Mississauga Transitway, GO's RER on the Kitchener line, and the Province of Ontario’s proposed high-speed rail line.

The GTTA would develop lands south of the transit hub. Note the GO and UPX trains on either side of Highway 409, image GTAA

To build the new hub, it appears that the agency will move the parking garages for Terminals 1 and 3, as well as the circuitous network of roadways linking the terminals to Airport Road and Highways 409 and 427. It would also add more gates to board and deplane aircraft, while likely removing the airport 'LINK' train between the terminals in favour of bridges.

The GTAA would demolish a parking structure and add more gates to the airport under the plan, image, GTAA

At this stage, however, most of the transit plans are speculative, as only a connection to the Crosstown line has been officially announced. Supplied by the GTAA, the rendering shows the LRT continuing north of the airport transit centre, possibly an extension of the Finch West line. A GO train crosses Highway 409 to reach the new transit hub, though GO's Kitchener line is currently well to the north of this location, suggesting a new stub or looping alignment. The Province's high-speed rail line to southwestern Ontario could presumably follow the same route.

An LRT train heads north from the new hub -- presumably along the Finch West line, image GTAA

When Toronto Mayor John Tory proposed extending the Crosstown LRT to the airport area last year, he suggested that the City of Mississauga and the GTAA help fund that line. However, the GTAA has been silent on whether it will contribute to building this line and the other transit connections that its proposed multi-modal transit hub would serve. In a news release, the agency says it "has held preliminary discussions with all levels of government to raise awareness about the opportunity for the regional transit centre at Toronto Pearson. It anticipates continued planning discussions throughout 2017 both for the centre, as well as for the individual transit lines that will connect into the centre."

According to the NEPTIS Research Foundation, the area around Toronto Pearson is the second largest employment zone in Canada after Downtown Toronto, as UrbanToronto has previously reported. Over 300,000 people work in an employment zone that includes parts of Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto. NEPTIS reports that the concentration of jobs in financial services in workplaces near the airport is greater than the total jobs in North York. However, due to the lack of transit in the area, NEPTIS found that the area generates more than 1 million car trips each day—more daily trips than to and from Downtown Toronto.

Comparing Pearson to other worldwide airports in transit connectivity, image, GTAA

Although the Union Pearson Express train has improved connectivity to Downtown Toronto, many Toronto passengers still require at least one connection and over 1.5 hours of travel time to access Pearson. Meanwhile, passengers around the GTA and elsewhere in Southern Toronto have no choice but to transfer at Union Station— even though GO or VIA Rail services already pass by the airport.

***

We will keep you updated as the plans take shape, and more information becomes available. In the meantime, a closer look at the changes to the airport itself is offered here. Make sure to also check out our dataBase to learn more. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a message on this page, or add your voice to the ongoing conversation in our Forum. 

When it comes to public transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, "Not everything is about Toronto".

With that bold statement last week, Signe Leisk, a partner at Cassels Brock and member of the local Urban Land Institute (ULI) board of management, introduced ULI Toronto's latest discussion event, "905 to 905: The Missing Transit Link".

The 905 in the context of the regional economic structure, image, Neptis

Places to Grow, the Province of Ontario's growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, has tasked municipalities across the region with urbanizing, intensifying and creating transit-oriented development. Under the plan, efficient regional transit is a critical tool to enable municipalities to achieve these goals. However, according to the ULI, the current regional transportation model primarily provides opportunities for public transit trips between downtown Toronto and surrounding municipalities. For large numbers of residents who need to travel across the so-called '905 municipalities', networked transit solutions are very limited, representing a missing piece in the puzzle required to fulfill the provincial Growth Plan mandate. (ULI—among many other groups—derives the term '905' from the telephone area code that most of this region, except for the City of Toronto, share.)

Most people working in the Airport Employment Zone travel more than 10 kilometres to their workplace, image, Neptis

The goal of the discussion was for attendees to learn how the region can better leverage assets like a future regional transit centre at Toronto Pearson International Airport and the Highway 407 corridor to enhance transit connections across municipal borders. In the audience were officials from federal, provincial and municipal governments, transit agencies, development companies, construction companies and many other.

Jobs in the Tor-York West Employment Zone attract 132,000 all-day work trips, image, Neptis

John Duffy, chair of the advisory firm, StrategyCorp, moderated the panel discussion in the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, beside Pearson's Terminal 1. He reminded the audience about the work of Joel Garreau, who, in 1991, wrote Edge City: Life on the New Frontier to profile recently urbanized areas in North America similar to "the 905". Duffy stated that these areas haven't developed quite the way that Garreau predicted. That's because, in many parts of North America, transit is helping to transform these suburban areas into urban centres or "downtowns" on their own.

Eight per cent of all work-trips made to the 905 from the GTHA end up in the Tor-York East Zone, image, Neptis

The area around Pearson Airport is becoming one of those downtowns. It's now the second largest employment centre in Canada – behind downtown Toronto and ahead of downtown Montreal and downtown Vancouver in the list. Unlike most downtowns, however, this area has very poor transit connections.

Duffy then introduced the panellists who each brought more context to the issues surrounding transportation options in the 905.

First, Marcy Burchfield, executive director of the Neptis Foundation, an independent, privately capitalized charitable foundation that conducts and disseminates nonpartisan research, analysis and mapping about the design and function of Canadian urban regions, spoke.

She cited a study by her research colleague, Pamela Blais, principal at Metropole Consultants, that identified three major employment centres in the 905 on the edge of Toronto:

• the airport area;
• the "Tor-York West" area near Highways 407 and 400; and
• the "Tor-York East" area near Highways 407 and 404.

Toronto Pearson’s global connectivity fuels growth for the region, province and Canada, image, Greater Toronto Airports Authority

The airport zone offers jobs to 300,000 people. Eighty-two per cent of that employment is from "core jobs"– meaning work related to products and services that companies export outside the zone or that draw income from outside of the region. The Tor-York West area, represents 139,000 jobs—81 per cent core employment. The Tor-York East area accounts for 106,260—85 per cent core. The entire 905 area employs 1,468,560 people—60 per cent of those positions are core.

The GTAA is increasing prosperity through Pearson by building a network of aviation assets and improving transit connectivity, image, Greater Toronto Airports Authority

Local and provincial government agencies collect information about urban travel in southern Ontario every five years with the Transportation Tomorrow Survey. This data helps governments plan transportation and decide appropriate infrastructure investments.

According to the 2011 survey, 90 per cent of the people who travel to work in the airport area travel by car. Twenty-two per cent of the people who travel to work in the 905 travel to the airport area. Twenty-six per cent of all-day work trips originate within 10 kilometres of the area, while 51 percent originate from 10 to 30 kilometres away.

The Tor-York West and East employment zones reflect similar travel patterns. The west area receives 132,000 all-day work trips, while the east gets 98,000. Again, the majority of those trips are from areas further than 10 kilometres from workplaces.

So how do people get around these areas to and from work? David Munroe, Engagement Manager at McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, presented the results of a recent study on east-west travel in the 905. The study team divided the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area into three distinct subregions:

• West: Peel, Halton and Hamilton;
• Central: Toronto and York; and
• East: Durham.

Only a small part of residents in each of the three subregions travel to work by transit--just seven per cent in the west and five per cent in the east. On the other hand, 21 per cent of central area residents commute by transit.

The future "Union Station West" terminal at Pearson would connect with a number of major transit services, image, Greater Toronto Airports Authority

Munroe told the audience that more people travel between the west and the northern part of the central subregion than do from the west to the southern part. About 190,000 people commute daily from Peel, Halton or Hamilton to northern Toronto or York Region, while only 160,000 make a similar trek to downtown Toronto. Just 134,000 journey from the west to midtown Toronto.

Thirty-two percent of workers travelling to and from downtown Toronto use public transit, while just nine percent of commuters ride buses, streetcars and trains to midtown and northern Toronto and York Region.

Munroe said that few commuters from the west to the north-central district travel by transit, because current networks are cumbersome and seldom facilitate east-west trips across the region unless the trip includes downtown Toronto.

The Highway 407 Transitway and an extenstion to the Mississauga Transitway would help fill in some of the missing transit links, image by WSP

He illustrated this with three examples from his research. Someone travelling from the Square One area of Mississauga to downtown Toronto by public transit would only need to add another 15 minutes to their schedules than if he or she had journeyed by car. If the same person travelled from Square One to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, he or she would have to plan for an extra 35 minutes by transit. If the trip extended even further eastward to Richmond Hill, that public-transit commuter would face 50 minutes more than driving each way.

Next, attendees heard from Eileen Waechter, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority's director of corporate relations and strategic partnerships. Waechter focussed on Toronto Pearson's role in the 905. "Pearson offers the region global connectivity that fuels growth for the region, the province and Canada", she said.

Pearson welcomes more than 47 million passengers annually and contributes directly or indirectly to 6.3 per cent of Ontario's gross domestic product. As Duffy had previously noted, Waechter pointed out that the airport employment zone provides 300,000 jobs to Ontarians – 49,000 of them are at Pearson itself. Although Waechter did not offer an exact timelines, she predicted that "in the future", the airport would handle 85 million visitors, while the nearby area would provide 700,000 jobs, and provide 8.5 per cent of the GDP.

She told the group that the airport authority was already planning to increase its connections with the rest of the GTHA and southern Ontario. For example, it's collaborating with other airports to improve air travel to and from the province and to share information on common issues.

The GTTA is also planning for a transit hub at or near Pearson to help furnish those missing transit links. This future terminal, which she dubbed "Union Station West", would likely include links to Union Pearson Express trains, the Crosstown LRT, already under construction, and Finch West LRT, to under construction son, and an extension to the Mississauga Transitway. Waechter said that Metrolinx and the Ontario government are both examining ways to connect the future high-speed rail line and GO Transit's Kitchener train line to this future hub.

The final speaker was Daniel Haufschild, vice-president, urban mobility at globally recognized professional services firm, WSP Canada. Haufschild agreed with the other panelists in that transit was the missing link in the 905, but added that municipalities in the area must also intensify, if transit connections are to be successful. Haufschild told attendees that when his firm worked on plans to extend the Crosstown LRT to Pearson, they discovered that more potential passengers would travel westward toward the airport than would travel eastward toward Toronto's core.

Holland's ZuidTangent BRT provides connection between Amsterdam's suburbs and its airport, image, WSB

He also highlighted the importance of the future Highway 407 Transitway to mobility in the area, along with a longer Mississauga Transitway through the airport hub to Highway 407. He compared this future bus-rapid transit network with the ZuidTangent BRT in the Amsterdam area, connecting Schiphol International Airport with the Amsterdam suburbs and the nearby city of Haarlem.

Metrolinx is continuing the transit project environmental assessment process for segments of the Highway 407 route, but the transit agency's regional transportation plan does not foresee that project being completed until after 2041. Perhaps some of the messages from this event may require the provincial transit group to rethink the timeline and reprioritize the project.

What do you think? Add your comments by filling in the form below this page. Or take part in our Forum by joining one of these discussion threads:

• Mississauga Transitway
• Highway 407 Transitway
• Finch West LRT
• Eglinton West LRT
• GO Transit
• Union Pearson Express
• High-speed rail.

October 1, 2018, and October 1, 2021. Mark both dates on your calendars, if you're an observer of Metrolinx's mammoth Crosstown Light Rail Transit project. The 2018 date—just six weeks away—is when the line's storage and maintenance facility will be "ready to receive trains", according to the contractors who are building the project.

Aerial-view rendering of Mount Dennis station, as it will appear when the LRT is operating, image, Metrolinx

As for October 1, 2021? Well, more on that later…

Metrolinx and Crosslinx Transit Solutions, the group that is building and managing the project, recently offered media a sneak-preview tour of construction at the Mount Dennis work site at the western end of the line. That location contains several elements of the project including:

• Mount Dennis LRT station;
• a TTC bus terminal;
• a GO Transit and Union Pearson Express station;
• an elevated "guideway", carrying the LRT cars into Mount Dennis station; and
• the maintenance and storage facility.

The biggest take-away from this tour is how quickly the project has progressed. Urban Toronto has visited this site several times: first in August 2016, when Metrolinx and its contractors moved a heritage building on the site about 61 metres (200 feet) on rails to a new location out of the way of construction; and most recently in August 2017, when Mayor Tory and Ontario's then Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca and other officials participated in a ceremonial laying of the first track. During that event, the site was mostly a sea of mud and the maintenance facility just a shell of steel girders.

Parker (left) and Persson led the tour, image, Robert Mackenzie

Crosslinx' officials, Deputy Regional Director Anders Persson and Deputy Segments Director Don Parker, led the reporters through the site. First, we passed the former Kodak employees' club house, the last relic of the site's former use as plant which manufactured photography supplies. This is the heritage structure that Metrolinx moved out of the way of construction two years ago.

The former Kodak building will be home to the TTC bus terminal, image, Robert Mackenzie 

The building will eventually house retail and community space. However, it also performs an important transit function: the GO and UP Express waiting area and public washrooms will be on the main level of the building, while the TTC's terminal will be in the basement.

Platform level at Mount Dennis Station today, image, Robert Mackenzie

Rendering of platform level, when the LRT is in service, image, Metrolinx

We visited a location near the railway right-of-way that borders the western edge of the site. There, crews are busy working on a tunnel that will, eventually, allow the LRT tracks to extend under the railway. Parker explained that the team first relocated the GO and UPX tracks–to the west so that the team could build the eastern half of the tunnel. Eventually, they'll move the tracks eastward again, so that they could dig the western tunnel.

Crews are tunnelling under the railway tracks for pedestrian connections and future westward extension, image, Robert Mackenzie

The tunnel will allow Metrolinx and the City of Toronto to extend the LRT further westward to Toronto Pearson International Airport and a future transit hub there as part of the SmartTrack project. More immediately, it will also allow passengers to walk between the LRT and the GO/UPX stations, and the main and secondary entrances.

Rendering of the main entrance to the station west of the railway tracks, image, Metrolinx

We headed south toward Eglinton Avenue West to discover that much of the infrastructure for the Mount Dennis Station is already intact. Tracks are in place and platforms are in position. Mount Dennis is an above-ground station well above street level. (Eglinton dips at this point so that traffic can flow under a bridge carrying GO and UPX trains.) Light streams into the station through the all-glass south facade.

The secondary entrance east of the tracks, with the former Kodak building behind, image, Metrolinx

The station will have three accessible entrances:

• the main entrance at the west end of the station between Weston Road and the GO/UPX rail corridor, with an underground connection from the main entrance to the former Kodak building);
• a secondary entrance east of the rail corridor on the north side of Eglinton Avenue West; and
• a third in the former Kodak building.

Rendering of the TTC bus terminal in the former Kodak building, image, Metrolinx

The TTC terminal will include bays for 15 buses. Plans include 40 outdoor and 80 indoor bicycle parking spaces. The indoor bicycle storage will stand beside the main entrance. A passenger pick-up and drop-off structure or "kiss 'n' ride" will accommodate riders of all the transit modes at Mount Dennis—LRT, UPX, GO, and buses.

Crews are still digging for the spur track that will allow LRT cars access to the MSF, image, Robert Mackenzie

East of the station, crews are building a spur from the main line tracks. The LRT cars will travel along that spur to reach the storage and maintenance facility.

Aerial-view rendering of the maintenance and storage facility, showing the green roof, image, Metrolinx

A bus carried the group around to the north side of the construction site. Along the way we glimpsed the elevated guideway that will support the LRT tracks east of the station. LRT train sets will emerge from the tunnel just west of Bicknell Avenue and onto the guideway which will carry the trains across Black Creek and Black Creek Drive, and into the station on the north side of Eglinton.

These poles at the MSF await the imminent arrival of catenary--overhead wiring to power the cars, image, Robert Mackenzie

The bus paused on an overpass so we could gain a bird's-eye view of the maintenance and storage facility or MSF. Anders pointed out the multiple poles that will soon receive overhead wiring to power the trains. The exteriors of all structures are complete and tracks are in place. Eventually this site will store and maintain all the cars for the line and can, in fact hold as many as 162 Bombardier Flexity Freedom LRT train-sets.

Structures within the MSF include:

• a vehicle cleaning & inspection facility
• a vehicle cleaning staff building
• an operations company building
• a maintenance building; and
• a bridge over the rail corridor to allow staff and service vehicles to access the MSF from the northwest

The design for the facility incorporates two artificial ponds and green tracks, so its landscaping better integrates with the nearby parkland in the Black Creek valley. The facility also has a "green roof", meaning vegetation partially or completely covers it.

Inside the MSF—still a construction site, but not for long, image, Robert Mackenzie

The site will have storage for 162 Bombardier Flexity Freedom LRT vehicles and, according to Persson, the first of which will arrive later this year. Once more track is complete, the team will test the new cars by running them between the MSF and the future Caledonia Station, two stops east. When the cars have notched 600 kilometres on the odometer, they will be ready for the public.

Service bays will allow mechanics access to the underside of the cars, image, Robert Mackenzie

We toured the maintenance building and saw the bays where future mechanics will work under the cars. In the washing facility we learned that each train set requires just two minutes to be cleaned, and will likely get a scrub every second day.

The washing facility can process the LRT vehicles in two minutes, image, Robert Mackenzie

In March, 2015, Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario named Crosslinx the preferred proponent for building and maintaining the 21-kilometre LRT line. The three parties signed a contract in November of that year. The $9.1 billion value of the contract includes a 30-year maintenance agreement which allocates funding to the lifecycle repair and renewal of systems components. The Crosslinx consortium includes ACS Dragados Canada, AECON, EllisDon and SNC Lavalin.

As promised, here's information about that October 1, 2021 date: Metrolinx and Crosslinx have targeted 2021 to open the line. While Metrolinx and Crosslinx are dealing with a legal dispute over some construction complications, during our visit, we heard whispers of a possible opening date of September 29. So, October 1 may very well be the second day of full operation—if everything gets back on plan.

Mark your calendars.

What are your thoughts on the Crosstown LRT? Leave your comments in the space below, or join the discussion in our Forum.

Here's a pop quiz for regular UrbanToronto readers: What is Canada's second-largest employment zone? If you guessed downtown Montreal or Vancouver, you haven't been paying enough careful attention.

As we reported recently, earlier this year and last year, according to the NEPTIS Research Foundation, the area around around Toronto Pearson International Airport is the second largest employment zone in Canada after Downtown Toronto. More than 300,000 people work in an area that includes parts of Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto. NEPTIS reports that the concentration of jobs in financial services in workplaces near the airport is greater than the total number of jobs in North York.

Most people working in the Airport Employment Zone travel more than 10 kilometres to their workplace, image, Neptis

Despite its second-place rank, the airport zone currently has poor transportation connections. Due to that lack of transit, NEPTIS found that the area generates more than 1 million car trips each day—more daily trips than to and from Downtown Toronto. That's a key reason why the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) intends to develop a major transit terminal at the airport.

Eng (left) and Verster at the Board of Trade, with event moderator, Yvonne Rene de Cotret, image, GTAA

Howard Eng, the GTAA's president and chief executive officer, and Phil Verster, president and CEO of Metrolinx recently addressed the Board of Trade of Greater Toronto about the issue.

The GTAA is already developing plans for what it's dubbing "Union Station West", a regional transit hub at Pearson, which it hopes to open by the late 2020s.

A transit hub at Pearson would supply a vital link to the Golden Horseshoe, image, GTAA

The rationale for a building a major transit terminal at or near the airport is becoming increasingly clear. Pearson welcomes more than 47 million passengers annually and contributes directly or indirectly to 6.3 per cent of Ontario's gross domestic product. More than 49,000 jobs in the airport zone are at Pearson itself. The GTAA estimates that "in the future", the airport would handle 85 million visitors, while the nearby area would supply 700,000 jobs and generate 8.5 per cent of the provincial GDP.

In 2016, the GTAA hired Urban Strategies Inc., a global urban design consultancy to develop a white-paper, “Growth, Connectivity, Capacity” that described the remarkable passenger growth and economic significance of Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Multiple transit lines could one day intersect at Pearson, image, GTAA

The white paper discusses how Pearson and the surrounding area have extremely few transit options connecting workers to their jobs in the burgeoning Airport Employment Zone or to other key employment nodes in the region. The Union Pearson Express is the only higher-order transit accessing the area. Buses operating in mixed traffic supply all other transit service. This lack of connectivity results in traffic congestion that is reaching critical levels, adding to commute times, threatening economic opportunity, and creating air pollution that affects local communities and impacting climate-change strategies.

"Road congestion is impacting our region's ability to attract investment and also impacting quality of life for our residents," Eng said. "We're committed to working with the municipalities surrounding the airport, area employers and industry groups to improve ground transportation in the airport area. Our vision for a regional transit and passenger centre at Toronto Pearson will help to reduce congestion in the area, lower costs for industry and improve productivity for local business."

The number of passengers travelling to and from other airports by transit is much greater than at Pearson, image, GTAA

The Union Pearson Express significantly upgraded public transit access between the airport and Downtown Toronto and is proving popular with passengers and employees. However, the UP express, the GTAA says, is not sufficient because it can only serve 800 passengers per hour. While there are a growing number of planned transportation routes approaching Toronto Pearson, few connect directly to Toronto Pearson.

The airport authority continues to reach out to, and work with, transit agencies and governments to firm up plans for rapid transit to and from the Pearson area. For example, the GTAA's vision includes extending the light rail transit lines along Eglinton and Finch Avenues West and connecting the future Highway 407 transitway to the air terminals and the Mississauga Transitway.

For example, last April, the GTAA and Metrolinx announced that they are working together to study potential connections for the Kitchener GO Transit rail corridor to Toronto Pearson’s regional transit and passenger centre and other potential transit connections.

Metrolinx and partners are studying the feasibility of extending the Eglinton LRT to a regional transit centre (RTC) at Pearson, image, GTAA

The GTAA-Metrolinx partnership is studying:

• potentially connecting the GO rail corridor to "Union Station West";
• potentially connecting rapid lines and various local and regional bus services to Pearson;
• improving ground transportation to and from the airport and the airport employment area; and
• phasing these various projects so some of them are already available when "Union Station West" is a reality.

"Toronto Pearson is Canada’s gateway to the world and a key driver of jobs, trade and tourism," said Eng. "The GTAA is committed to working with Metrolinx to improve transit. These studies will help to connect our region for the benefit of passengers, airport workers, local businesses and residents."

"We are excited to be moving ahead with our partners to explore all options available. By strengthening connections among communities along the innovation corridor between Kitchener-Waterloo, Pearson Airport and Toronto, we will work to deliver faster, more frequent service for our customers" said Verster.

This map of the proposed Woodbine-Highway 27 GO station shows the Finch West LRT connecting with Pearson, image, Metrolinx

Although the UP Express has improved connectivity to Downtown Toronto, many Toronto passengers still require at least one connection and more than 1.5 hours of travel time to access Pearson. Meanwhile, passengers from elsewhere in Southern Ontario have no choice but to transfer at Union Station—even though GO and VIA Rail services already pass by the airport.

At the recent Board of Trade event, Eng and Verster reiterated their long-term plans to develop the first phase of the multi-modal transit hub at Pearson by the late 2020s. But, both CEOs talked about the importance of making smaller, incremental steps along the journey towards opening the airport terminal, as essential to the success of the plan. Eng pointed to the recent launching of MiWay's Airport express bus as but one example of those smaller steps towards better connections. Similarly, Verster spoke about recent improvements to GO bus services that provide passengers as far west as Hamilton and as far east as Richmond Hill with hourly service 24 hours a day to and from Pearson.

This chart compares the number of transit passengers at Pearson with the numbers for other airports, image, GTTA

While Eng and Verster did not discuss concrete plans for future rapid transit lines, at least two Metrolinx projects promise better connectivity to the airport area over the next few years. Metrolinx is leading a team, including the cities of Toronto and Mississauga and the TTC, to explore the feasibility of extending the proposed Eglinton West LRT to Pearson.

And, last week, the Metrolinx board of directors considered the business case study for a new GO Transit station on Highway 27 near Woodbine Race Track. While that station is east of the airport zone, the plans show an extended Finch West LRT connecting with the proposed new station--and continuing toward the airport.

The Urban Strategies research reveals that multi-modal transit hubs are a common component of the world’s largest airports, providing travel options for the millions of people who travel to, from, and through airports and their adjacent employment zone. These hubs:

• connect air-travel passengers to and from the airport;
• serve as major regional transportation hubs in their own right, providing key links between regional locations and transportation modes; and
• connect employees to jobs at the airport and to those in the surrounding employment zone.

According to the GTAA, only 10 per cent of passengers and employees at Toronto Pearson use public transit. This figure is particularly low by international standards. For example, the figure for London Heathrow is 36 per cent, while the average percentage of passengers using transit at other airport hubs around the world is 34 per cent.

Toronto Pearson aims to achieve a figure of transit-using passengers and employees of between 20 and 30 per cent. It has determined that the Greater Golden Horseshoe area requires another multi-modal transit hub to support its growth. Such a facility should include a network of buses, airport express trains, rapid transit and regional trains. A multi-modal transit hub would provide travel options and capacity for the millions of people who travel to, from and through the airport, or the surrounding employment zone.

An early rendering of the proposed Pearson transit terminal, image, GTAA

Last February, the GTAA engaged HOK to design the regional transit centre, which would also act as a facility to improve passenger service at the airport. HOK is leading a design team that includes WSP Engineers and Weston Williamson + Partners. It intends to engage with many stakeholder groups, including airport partners, government and local community members. According to its website, HOK is a leader in sustainable, high-performance design and has led major aviation and transportation projects at some of the world’s most travelled international airports.

We will continue to update you on the project as it progresses. In the meantime, you will find more renderings of the transit terminal concept in our database file for the proposal, linked below. You can get in on the discussion in our associated Forum tread, or you can share your comments about the plan in the space provided on this page.