Dear Neighbour,

Over the past month many of you have engaged directly with me over the phone, by email, in the community and through the survey that I posted on my website soliciting your feedback on what to do with the Gardiner Expressway East, located between Jarvis Street and the Don Valley Parkway. Currently, it is considered to be in poor condition and at the end of its service life. Due to years of neglect, we have seen instances of concrete falling from the Gardiner, threatening the people that travel under it. Thankfully no one has been seriously injured. In 2013, Toronto City Council authorized a series of interim repairs that would extend the life of the Gardiner East until 2020. Making a decision on the Gardiner East is one that I believe Council should and must make, as the cost of doing nothing is even greater than either the Hybrid or Remove options being presented.

After doing my own research, consulting with different stakeholders, going on a site visit and listening to what residents of Ward 18 have told me, I have decided that I will be voting to remove the Gardiner Expressway east of Jarvis Street and replace it with a street level boulevard, much like University Avenue, which can facilitate both the movement of pedestrians and vehicles. We have in front of us a once in a generation chance to open up the eastern waterfront for people and opportunity. I believe that we should seize that chance and build a city that we can be truly proud of for generations to come.

I have come to this decision after looking at potential revenues from land sales, the expansion of our property tax base with more development opportunities, the ability to provide more land for affordable housing, additional job creation potential, reduced capital, maintenance and operating costs of a street level boulevard, and the environmental and health benefits associated with the Remove option. I believe that it is also important to think about how removing the Gardiner east of Jarvis will create better waterfront connections, animate Lake Shore Boulevard, provide more opportunities to improve the public realm, and still maintain a link to the Don Valley Parkway.

Currently, only 3% of commuters during the morning rush hour use the Gardiner East, which represents a total of 5,200 people per AM peak period hour. These numbers are similar to current car usage on University Avenue or ridership on the 29 Dufferin Bus that runs through Ward 18. The 3% of commuters using the Gardiner East stands in comparison to the 68% utilizing public transportation (49% TTC and 19% GO Transit), 4% walking or cycling, and the remaining 25% driving to get into the downtown core.

We have seen that more people are choosing to travel into the downtown core on public transit than ever before and I feel that it is important to spend your hard earned tax dollars on projects that will expand public transit for all residents of our great city, thereby reducing our overall congestion. Only serious public transportation expansion will address the staggering commute times that people in the GTA are facing. We will need every dollar that we can get in order to make public transit expansion, including the Downtown Relief Line, Smart Track, and other public transit projects, a priority.

When looking at the capital, operating and maintenance costs that are estimated to be spent over the next 100 years for the 1.7 kilometers of roadway in-between Jarvis Street and the Don Valley Parkway, it is clear to me that building a street level boulevard in the place of the Gardiner East is the fiscally prudent thing for the City to do. The difference between selecting the two options before us is $458 million in 2013 dollars. That accounts for the difference in costs between $919 million for the Hybrid option and $461 million for the Remove option.

By utilizing the additional 12 acres of City owned land that would directly be made available for redevelopment by building a street level boulevard in the place of an elevated expressway, we would be able to spur more development, more affordable housing, and an additional $137 million ($2013) in revenue to direct towards other capital projects aimed at improving the lives of Torontonians. By unlocking the value of this land, it will also help us further expand the tax base and provide more property tax revenue in order to address the fiscal challenges our City is facing.

Like the Hybrid option, the Remove option also provides for the ability to develop the First Gulf site into an employment centre, economic catalyst, and a key hub for the Smart Track transportation plan that will provide Torontonians with fast, efficient, reliable, and accessible public transit options in our City. Additionally, with the Remove option, we could create more good jobs for the local economy, helping to break the cycle of poverty and putting us on a path where we could truly create a community where people can live, work and play.

We have seen cities from all around the world that have replaced their elevated waterfront expressways and the massive public benefits that have been realized from those decisions. We need to think to the future, not the past, of the kind of city that we want to build because after all, Toronto only has one waterfront and we need to make sure we get the most out of it.

I look forward to the Council debate and vote on this matter next week and for the start of construction as soon as possible afterwards. We can't afford to wait any longer.

I am working hard to make sure the priorities that will serve our residents are well represented at City Hall.  As always, I will continue to work closely with you so we can build a great city where we can live, work and play.

Sincerely,

Ana

As the Metrolinx Davenport Reference Panel wraps up its work this Saturday, I continue to have serious concerns with Metrolinx's plans to build a large rail bridge over our community. Building on my Motion that was passed at Toronto City Council in April, I wrote to Metrolinx last week outlining some of my concerns.

Some of the key issues that I have asked Metrolinx President & CEO Bruce McCuaig to consider immediately include:

• I believe that it is in the public interest to fully understand the decision behind recommending an overpass, as opposed to a below grade option to bypass the Davenport Diamond as it does appear that there could be significant community benefits that would arise from a below grade option. The first time the City received Metrolinx's two feasibility studies on this project was April 16, 2015. As a result, City Planning staff require adequate time to complete a technical review of the work completed to-date and determine whether City objectives have been addressed in the decision making process that flowed from these studies. 

• The City has recently advised Metrolinx that a new GO Station at Bloor Street and Lansdowne Avenue is in the City's Official Plan and is a key issue. I strongly believe that a GO Station at Bloor Street and Lansdowne Avenue as part of the Barrie GO Line is necessary for local residents, the surrounding community and to enhance network connectivity. This stop would help alleviate the ridership pressures on the Jane, Keele, and Dufferin TTC bus routes, while providing another vital link for transit riders on the Bloor-Danforth Subway Line.

If this station does not get built, it would represent a missed opportunity by Metrolinx to enhance network connectivity for both GO Transit and the TTC, and to increase the economic competitiveness of the Greater Toronto Area. In addition to the local community benefits, there are employment lands located nearby that would benefit from such a transit connection. I am sure that you and I can both agree on how important it is to provide more public transit options for riders.

• As you may be aware, Toronto City Council has directed the City's Chief Planner, Jennifer Keesmaat to ensure that land-use planning (including grade separation underground or above ground) and urban design considerations are part of the Environmental Assessment process being carried out by Metrolinx for the rail grade separation project. The process to consider how design excellence is embedded in the project solution has yet to be realized, as no scope has been developed and no process appears to be in place to co-ordinate this with the technical review. It is important that the local community also receives the best possible benefit from this project. In light of those points, a related point is how much will Metrolinx contribute for public realm improvements as part of this project?

• Development of an agreed Project Schedule in consultation with City staff, that provides sufficient time for technical review iterations, and community input and discussion on the options, analysis, community benefits, and design excellence of the preferred solution.

I look forward to meeting with Metrolinx in the near future to discuss my concerns and other issues that have been raised throughout this process. I will continue keep you informed every step of the way as we obtain more information.

I believe that safe, efficient and affordable urban transportation is a cornerstone of building a great city.

As a transit rider, driver, cyclist, pedestrian and frequent taxi customer I understand that personal choice and convenience are paramount in selecting our most suitable mode of transportation on a daily basis. I believe in the merits of personal transportation choice and I have heard from hundreds of Ward 18 residents that Uber is a transportation choice they wish to have in Toronto.

Before Uber can become an officially accepted mode of transportation within The City of Toronto there are a number of processes that will need to take place. First, the City is proceeding with its legal challenge and will see Uber in court on May 19^th. This hearing is being pursued by the City's Municipal Licensing & Standards Division on the basis that Uber entered the Toronto market while ignoring the City's licensing requirements. While Uber's entry into the Toronto transportation market was not well executed, I believe they are open to making changes and we have recently seen evidence of this.

Uber Canada formally applied for a taxi brokerage licence with the City of Toronto recently. This move indicated a departure from Uber's original stance that it is merely a technology company, as well as a willingness to work within the City's regulatory regime in some respects. This application will be considered after the court case is heard. I believe the company can do more to address the City's concerns about passenger safety and that the solutions may be found through a new regulatory framework.

Just as it is important for Uber to operate within the City's regulatory regime, it is also important for our regulatory regime to adapt to the realities of the 21^st century. Mayor Tory has called for a people oriented solution to these issues through a modernization of City regulations and I also believe this is a direction we need to move in. I view this issue as a test-case and a huge opportunity for the City of Toronto. The pace of innovation in 21^st century global cities is intensifying. In this instance, and in many more which are likely to come, we can practice smart and nimble accommodation of innovation. Hopefully through this process we will foster more innovative and solutions-oriented attitudes at the City of Toronto.

In the coming months the City will revisit its taxi industry standards and include Uber's services in this review. I look forward to this process, to promoting your interests as well as asking challenging questions along the way. As this issue continues to evolve, I look forward to an open dialogue with you. Please do not hesitate to contact me again with respect to this issue, or any other.

Click on the image or this link to view the full pdf version of this notice.

Toronto Star - When the mayor of Canada's largest city sounds an alarm on rail safety, along with councillors from neighbourhoods at particular risk, federal officials would do well to listen. [View copy of the letter]

They would do even better to act before a catastrophe hits some large urban area.

The concerns expressed in a letter to federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt by Toronto Mayor John Tory, and 17 councillors from across the political spectrum, aren't the result of idle anxiety. On the contrary, they're a timely warning about gaps that persist in Canada's revamped rail-safety rules and regulations.

In the wake of the train derailment and subsequent inferno that killed 47 people in Lac-Mégantic, Que., it's essential that those gaps be closed.

The open letter to Raitt was initiated by Councillor Josh Matlow and signed by representatives of every ward traversed by a major Canadian Pacific rail line running through the city. As reported by the Star's Jessica McDiarmid, the politicians took a particularly strong stand due to worry that many residents' homes are located extremely close to tracks routinely used to transport dangerous goods.

While expressing appreciation for federal rail safety improvements brought in so far, the councillors who signed the letter are calling for more, including:

A look at using alternate routes to ship dangerous material currently moving through densely populated neighbourhoods.

Accelerated removal of tank cars, used to ship volatile crude oil, that don't meet Ottawa's revamped safety standards.

A review of those standards, especially in light of recent accidents in Northern Ontario involving supposedly better tank cars that did satisfy new federal requirements.

Two fiery derailments have happened near Gogama, Ont., between Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie, in recent weeks - one in February and one in March. The incidents were particularly troubling in that they involved tank cars that were meant to be a significant improvement over the old DOT-111 tankers that failed with such horrific consequences at Lac-Mégantic.

It's only a matter of luck that both these recent accidents occurred in isolated areas instead of in the middle of a city or town. Tougher, more crash-resistant tank cars are desperately needed, and they shouldn't be introduced through some leisurely, years-long regulatory phase-in.

The March 31 letter from Toronto's mayor and councillors also suggested "promoting better communication between the rail industry and communities." But that's not specific enough.

Rail carriers are currently required to tell municipal first-responders about hazardous goods moving through their city or town. Such information is passed along strictly on a confidential basis, so that fire departments and other agencies can be in a better position to draw up disaster-response plans.

But concerned residents living near rail lines also deserve to know, at least after the fact, the nature of what's being transported just outside their door. Unfortunately, Ottawa's reformed rules and regulations, so far, require no such clarity.

Members of the public deserve to be more thoroughly informed on rail safety issues; stronger tank cars need to be brought in more quickly and dangerous shipments should be detoured around dense urban areas. Once such measures are instituted, federal officials will be in a position to say honestly that they have taken every reasonable step to avoid another disaster on the scale of Lac-Mégantic.

[This story was reposted from the Toronto Star on Tuesday, April 7th, 2015]

This week you may have read a Toronto Star article, been alerted to news posted on neighbourhood list-servs or reviewed information on the Junction Triangle website that Metrolinx has announced plans to construct an elevated rail structure through our neighbourhood. I share the concerns of local residents regarding these plans and, although it is still early in the process, I have begun advocating to ensure the best possible outcomes from this project.

The plan, as proposed, is for Metrolinx to ramp up their tracks along the Barrie GO line from just north of Bloor Street and gradually elevate the tracks to more than 8 metres in order to bypass the CN Rail crossing north of Dupont. 

This project will no doubt have major impacts on our area. While another long period of construction will leave us with a permanent visual landmark, there is also huge potential on the ground once the tracks are raised. We may be able knit our neighbourhoods back together with improved street connections, new and enhanced public spaces and world-class public art. Looking at these possibilities is the task of Metrolinx Residents Reference Panel. I will be watching this process closely and guarding against unrealistic expectations. It is critically important that any expectations that Metrolinx raises for community improvements are accompanied by the necessary funding to make them into reality. 

I remain hopeful and open-minded after speaking with Metrolinx staff and having my office represent community interests at the DIGIN meeting on March 11th. At the same time I will be aggressively pursuing Metrolinx to ensure that the promised community benefits are funded and the corridor is electrified.

There will be more public meetings on this topic and I will keep you informed every step of the way. To ensure the most timely updates, please follow me on Twitter or on Facebook.

As of December 2014 the City contractors have finished most of the parts of this project:

• All road work
• All sidewalk replacement along Bloor Street (some sidewalk will be replaced on side streets as part of streetscaping)
• All Bloor Street tree planting, including guards and watering grates
• Bump-out construction
• Lay-by reconstruction in front of the Bickford Centre

Also, new street furniture (e.g. benches, waste bins, bike post and ring) and signage for Bloor Street is in place, with some pre-existing street furniture being reinstated shortly.

In the Spring 2015, contractors will return to finish up the last of the project tasks:

• Additional Bloorcourt streetscape upgrades at side streets e.g. decorative pavers, bronze markers, seat walls, custom tree pits, decorative signage, swing gates and landscaping at Crawford St, Shaw St, Roxton Rd, Carling Ave, Ossington Ave, Concord Ave, Delaware Ave, Dovercourt Rd, Westmoreland Ave, Rushholme Rd, Salem Ave, Havelock St, Bartlett Ave, and Gladstone Ave.
• Two large planters with new trees at the front of the Bickford Centre driveway
• Address any remaining deficiencies such as minor impacts at store fronts, adjustments to pavers, deficient landscaping features, etc.

The trailer will be removed from Bloor & Christie for the winter and returned for work in the spring.

We thank the community for your continued patience and cooperation.  We all look forward to seeing the final upgrades in place for enjoying next summer.

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[This information, written by Jason Diceman, has been re-posted from http://torontobloor.wordpress.com/2014/12/22/done-for-the-winter-back-in-spring-2015-to-finish-on-side-streets/]

It’s that time of the year again – winter!

A Canadian winter can sometimes mean a lot of snow, and the City of Toronto is ready.

Here are a few things that you can expect as we gear up for another winter in Toronto.

Prior to the onset of a storm, Transportation Services will be applying a layer of salt brine to hills and bridges throughout the city.  The application of salt brine is intended to prevent the snow from bonding to the pavement and to make it easier to plow the snow to the side of the road.

As soon as the snow begins, Transportation Services sends out its fleet of salt trucks to the expressways and main roads.  Local roads and laneways are salted soon after this.  When two centimeters of snow has accumulated then plowing will begin on the expressways and, when five centimeters has accumulated, plowing will begin on the main roads. Plowing on the expressways and main roads will continue until the operation is complete.

When the snow stops and if the snow accumulation reaches eight centimeters,  local road plowing will begin.  Plowing on the local roads is usually completed between 14-16 hours after the snow stops falling. During this time, snow service requests will not be taken by 311.  Residents are also asked not to call 311 during the storm to ask when their street will be plowed.  Residents should call 311 to report urgent winter related calls only.

The City will only open driveway windrows wherever it is mechanically possible to do so after eight centimeters of snow has fallen. Typically, driveway windrows are opened between one and two hours of the road being plowed.  The service is meant to only open up a width of about three metres – not the full width of the driveway

The City will clear snow from sidewalks on local roads where it is mechanically possible to do so after eight centimetres (five centimetres in January and February) of snow has fallen.  If the snowfall is less than eight centimeters, it’s your responsibility to clear the snow.  You know what they say, be nice and clear your ice!

In the central core of the city, property owners are required to clear their sidewalks of snow 12 hours after a storm has taken place.   To learn more about sidewalk snow clearing in Toronto and to view a map of the areas where the service is provided, click on toronto.ca/transportation/snow/sidewalks. 

If you need more information about the city's plans for snow clearing, visit toronto.ca/transportation.

Here’s an important tip about shoveling snow.  Please don’t push snow back onto the road.  It’s against the law, hampers snow clearing efforts and is very dangerous for motorists.

Winter, and the snow that comes with it, is a part of what makes us Canadians.  By working together, we can make sure that Toronto continues to be a safe and accessible city in which to live, work and play.