Living in Toronto means transit is a part of our daily lives. Planning and delivering reliable public transit is essential to ensuring our community remains a great place to live and work.
This means making sure we have the road infrastructure we need, and expanding the alternatives so more residents can get out of traffic and onto transit or bikes. I’ll keep pushing for better cycling infrastructure locally and connecting Ward 14 to the downtown, and for smart investments in public transit expansion for reliable transit.
Our community knows first-hand that transit planning and construction can be disruptive and frustrating. I’m committed to work with you to ensure that the disruption is minimized, and that getting around our neighbourhood is as easy as possible.
Ontario Line
In August 2019 the Province enacted Regulation 248/19, which resulted in the Relief Line South, Relief Line North, Scarborough Subway Extension, and Yonge North Subway Extension all becoming projects solely under the jurisdiction of Metrolinx.
The regulations also replaced the TTC’s Relief Line South (approved in 2017) and planning for the Relief Line North with Metrolinx’s Ontario Line.
In February 2023 Paula along with Councillors Ausma Malik and Chris Moise started the Subcommittee on Ontario Line Construction in response to concerns from residents and community stakeholders about Metrolinx's lack of public engagement and communication on construction impacts. Read more here.
Construction on the Ontario Line east of the Don River is set to begin soon. While it will deliver needed transit to our community and across the city, the impact of this construction will be felt here in Toronto-Danforth for many years. Read Paula's initial update on all of the transit projects and other major city work in our ward beginning in the spring and summer of 2023.
Learn more about the Ontario Line.
GO Expansion
Metrolinx is currently working on a GO Expansion Program. Their plan includes new train technology on the Barrie, Lakeshore, Stouffville and Kitchener lines in order to accommodate faster trains offering all-day trips, going two ways, as quickly as every 15 minutes. The GO expansion program is already underway incrementally.
Community groups, conservationists and local residents raised concerns about the nature and location of Metrolinx's layover facility initially planned for the Don Valley. It would have meant rebuilding nearly a kilometre of track across the valley floor to park and maintain the GO fleet, adding a six acre train facility, re-building a 100 year old bridge that had not been used since 1967 and clear cutting over 1,000 trees.
It would have spoiled the natural wonder of one of the three great natural river valleys in Toronto – the Humber, Rouge and Don – which are so essential to a balanced life within our busy city. hich you can read more about that in this Toronto Star article.
I moved several successful motions at City Council in September 2022 in response and continued pushing Metrolinx to change it's plan.
Then in March 2023 we got good news - Metrolinx announced it was relocating the layover facility out of the Don Valley after finding a suitable alternative location.
This change allows the City to begin work to on the long awaited Wonscotanach Park, located in the Don Valley. This new park will be a companion piece to the many great parks along the Don River, including the soon to be completed park in the Port Lands, Corktown Common and Riverdale Park East and West.
You can learn more here.
Leslie Barns
The TTC is committed to making its services accessible and modern. As part of this commitment the TTC has replaced its fleet of streetcars with new, low floor, accessible vehicles. In order to maintain the new fleet, the TTC built a new maintenance and storage facility, located at the corner of Leslie St. and Lake Shore Blvd.
TTC Second Exit Projects
Second exit work is underway Donlands Station and Greenwood Station to improve customer safety and convenience.
Read more about the TTC’s second exit planning and consultation process.
