PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN RATIONALE

As part of the 21 Don Roadway proposal, First Gulf is proposing to bring an LRT
south from the Broadview subway station through the site and then over to Union
Station, and also to connect to the GO rail service across the Don River, and
create an eastern downtown GO station which will serve the First Gulf site, the
West Don Lands and the Port Lands.
The proposed Downtown Relief Line could also enhance the site’s transit
accessibility. In this respect, the City is currently undertaking the Relief Line Project
Assessment, in conjunction with Metrolinx and TTC, including public consultation
to develop the proposed Terms of Reference and Public Consultation framework
for the study.
Bay way of background, in January 2009, City Council requested Metrolinx to
advance the timing of the relief line, ahead of the proposed northerly extension
of the Yonge subway line. As a result, TTC initiated the Downtown Rapid Transit
Expansion Study (DRTES) Phase 1 Strategic Plan. The results, summarized in an
October 24, 2012 TTC report, recommended the construction of an initial phase
of a “Downtown Relief Line” on the east side of the downtown, with an illustrative
alignment along King/Queen Street and a station at Bayview-River Street providing
a GO Rail connection. The report specifically noted that “the specific alignment
and station locations will be assessed and determined during future phases of the
project”.
In November 2012, Metrolinx announced its “Next Wave” of major transit projects
which included the Relief Line proposal and advanced its timing to implementation
in the next 15 years, versus the 15-25 year time frame originally envisaged in “The
Big Move”.
Similarly, the City’s ongoing “Feeling Congested” study, which is part of the
City’s ongoing review of the Official Plan, identifies the Relief Line (subway) as
an unfunded future rapid transit project (one of the Top 5 Performing Rapid
Transit Projects), with its alignment to be determined within a conceptual corridor
extending south from the Pape subway station to Queen Street and west along
Queen Street, before swinging northwesterly to the Dundas West subway station.
PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN RATIONALE | 79 East Don Roadway & 677 Queen Street East 15