This report responds to City Council's request from March 2024 to assess scope, feasibility, costs, risks, and key considerations regarding the adaptive reuse of the right-of-way, infrastructure, and station assets which comprise the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) decommissioned Scarborough Rapid Transit Line 3 (SRT). This request was made through Member Motions MM16.7 and MM16.29 . In July 2023, the SRT ceased operation and rapid bus replacement service was implemented. The Scarborough Subway Extension is planned for completion in 2030, extending the Bloor-Danforth Line 2 east and north into Scarborough. The TTC is currently converting the at-grade portion of the SRT line between Kennedy and Ellesmere stations, to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, which is planned to be operational by 2027. Based on TTC's completed review and analysis, the 2.5-kilometre SRT guideway located between Ellesmere Station and one hundred metres east of McCowan Station at Grangeway Avenue, is no longer required for transit uses. Most of this portion of the SRT is elevated infrastructure except for an area located north of Ellesmere Station which includes a small portion at-grade and below-grade as it changes to an east-west orientation. As per Municipal Code Chapter 279, the TTC holds real estate and infrastructure assets for the purpose of a transportation system and therefore assets no longer required for transit operations are declared surplus. Following direction from City Council regarding the preliminary feasibility assessment of adaptive re-use of the SRT infrastructure, staff across relevant City divisions and agencies completed the following: - a full review by the TTC of current and future operational requirements — - an initial ownership analysis and legal review of easements and agreements with third-party landowners — - an assessment of current developments, secondary plans, parks and other local requirements, and future development opportunities — and, - a high-level estimate of the cost of required due diligence and technical studies. Initial assessments indicate that adaptive reuse of the elevated guideway infrastructure presents legal risk that needs to be addressed, short-term and long-term capital expenditures, and implementation complexity overall. Specifically: - the City does not have complete property ownership of the SRT corridor — - the City has legal obligations to third-party landowners on portions of the SRT corridor including permission for restricted use to only transit operations — requirements to maintain infrastructure in good repair — and requirements to restore lands within one or two years once the transit system ceases operations, which was in July 2023 — - unfunded capital costs to undertake due diligence, retain third-party lands, redevelopment planning, and asset lifecycle requirements of aging infrastructure — - the capital coordination of large projects in Scarborough Centre (i.e., Scarborough Subway Extension, Transit Oriented Developments, housing developments) — and, - overall redevelopment limitations of the narrow corridor. Given these constraints, City staff recommend the SRT transit infrastructure be considered for substantive removal and derisked (i.e., addressing financial, legal, and asset lifecycle issues). The City can then review the true scope of the SRT corridor with appropriate visioning or 'future use' studies, and with dedicated capital budget. There may be city building opportunities by maintaining portions of the SRT corridor and exploring new connected land uses based on local Scarborough needs, and partnerships with active adjacent developments. These potential city building opportunities require deeper study such as transportation connections (i.e., active mobility, trails), parks, privately-owned publicly accessible spaces, and commemoration of the SRT. To move forward, the City should prioritize the following actions: - undertake a detailed legal review and title search of the SRT corridor to confirm ownership, and initiate discussions on current legal agreements — - undertake required technical studies, including analyzing scope, options, and cost estimates for the removal of SRT infrastructure to help determine next steps — - confirm accountability for the structure’s maintenance, safety, and security during and after technical analysis and any future phases — and, - plan a 'future use' study of the SRT corridor and a strategy for public consultation. It is recommended the adaptive re-use of the SRT be pursued in a 'stage gate' process. This would enable City Council to fully understand scope, cost, risks, and timing of each step forward considering the City's financial constraints. Stage gates are as follows: - approval to proceed with required legal and technical work to advance infrastructure removal — - report back in Q4 2025 with final scope, recommended approach for infrastructure removal, identify portions that could remain, any new land rights required, estimated capital cost for next steps, plus a plan for a 'future use' analysis and strategy for public consultations — and, - report back in 2026, with results of a public consultation and options for future uses of the SRT corridor.
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