Notice of Environmental Project Report Addendum: Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit

NEW (January 2014) – Minister of the Environment Issues Notice

On December 12, 2013, the Minister of the Environment issued a Notice to Allow a Change to the Transit Project in Accordance with an Addendum. That Notice allows Metrolinx to proceed with the changes to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT Project in accordance with the Environmental Project Report Addendum.

The Notice comes after the release of the Addendum for a 30-day public comment period followed by a 35-day for the Ministry of the Environment to review the public comments. As a result of the public comment period, the following documents were prepared:

• A summary of comments received and the responses to the comments
• A summary of how the EPR Addendum was updated in response to the comments received
• A compilation of updated pages of the EPR Addendum to address specific comments received

The compilation of updated pages of the EPR Addendum includes yellow highlight to show how the document was updated. These pages should be read in conjunction with the EPR Addendum as circulated in October 2013 included below.

Rapid and reliable transit is coming to the centre of Toronto.  The Crosstown will move Torontonians to work, school and play faster than ever before – reducing travel times and enhancing our economy and our environment.  The Crosstown will run along Eglinton, with more than 10 kilometres underground, making transit travel up to 60 percent faster than today.

In accordance with Ontario Regulation 231/08, the TTC and City of Toronto conducted an environmental impact assessment of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT), a 33-kilometre electrically-powered LRT line extending from the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in the City of Mississauga to Kennedy Station in the City of Toronto.  An Environmental Project Report (EPR) for this transit project was completed March 12, 2010 and a Statement of Completion was submitted in May 2010.

Subsequently, in 2012, Metrolinx assumed management responsibility for the project has become the sole proponent.  Metrolinx identified the need to revise the project between Jane Street and Keelesdale Park to:

• Divide the implementation of the project into two phases at Weston Road (the site of the Mount Dennis Station) and proceed with the phase from Mount Dennis Station to Kennedy Station and defer the section from  Weston Road to Pearson International Airport due to funding limiations;
• Include at the western terminus of the first phase (at Mount Dennis Station) a 15-bay bus terminal (not previously assessed in the original EPR);
• Re-configure the LRT between Jane Street and Keelesdale Park from a surface LRT line in the centre of Eglinton Avenue West to a grade-separated LRT line to improve operations; and
• Assess the environmental impacts of the a Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF), where light rail vehicles would be maintained and stored (the effects of which were not previously assessed in the original EPR)

An Addendum to the EPR was prepared to assess and address these changes.  A Notice of Environmental Project Report Addendum was prepared and distributed on October 18, 2013 to announce the availability of the Addendum for public review and comment for a 30-day period.  To view the EPR Addendum as released in October 2013, please click the links below:

• Executive Summary
• EPR Addendum - Chapters One
• EPR Addendum - Chapters Two
• EPR Addendum - Chapters Three and Four
• EPR Addendum - Chapters Five, Six and Seven
• Appendix A - Stormwater Management and Hydraulic Analysis
• Appendix B - Natural Environment Assessment
• Appendix C1 - Air Quality Assessment - Part One
• Appendix C2 - Air Quality Assessment - Part Two
• Appendix D - Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment
• Appendix E - Contamination Overview Study
• Appendix F - Stage 1-2 Archaeological Assessment
• Appendix G - Cultural Heritage Documentation
• Appendix H - Comparative Traffic Assessment Memorandum
• Appendix I - Public Consultation Report - PIC One
• Appendix J - Public Consultation Report - PIC Two
• Appendix K - Comments and Responses