Ashbridges Bay Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Maintenance and Storage Facility – Transit Project Assessment – Environmental Project Report 6 2. Project Description 2.1 Background 2.1.1 Program of Requirements and Conceptual Design The Program of Requirements and Conceptual Design study for all of TTC‟s new LRV maintenance and storage facilities has been completed by AECOM which identifies the needs for the maintenance and storage facility, and expands on TTC‟s Streetcar Maintenance and Repair Facilities Master Plan. The new low floor LRV maintenance and storage facility will be designed and outfitted to perform all levels of LRV maintenance except for: mid-life vehicle overhauls component repairs and overhauls The major design objectives for the Ashbridges Bay LRV maintenance and storage facility are to: Provide direct vehicle access to all servicing and maintenance facilities on site; Minimize any reverse or conflicting train movements. Ideally, a storage yard with both front end and back end loops should be provided; Effectively separate the movements of steel wheel and rubber tire vehicles on site; Provide facilities to efficiently perform required yard activities; and Minimize travel distances for train operators and maintenance personnel around the yard. 2.2 Site Selection An extensive property search for potential sites of the proposed maintenance and storage facility was initiated in February 2009 and was guided by the following requirements: 22 acres of property is required to accommodate the site; The potential site must be located in close proximity to the existing streetcar network; The potential site should minimize the need to relocate existing business and their facilities; and The potential site should minimize / avoid crossing of existing rail road tracks. Fourteen sites, extending from Mimico to Ashbridges Bay were assessed as potential locations to accommodate the maintenance and storage facility (see Figure 2-1) Of the fourteen sites screened, six of these sites met the minimum property requirements established for the maintenance and storage facility. The six sites included: 1. Ashbridges Bay – the 22-acre site is located on the southeast corner of Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East adjacent to the Ashbridges Bay Water Treatment Plant, the City of Toronto Works Yard and other industrial / commercial land uses. The site was originally owned by the Toronto Port Authority with a long-term lease to the City. The site has since been purchased by the City of Toronto. 2. Eastern Avenue – the 22-acre site is located on the south side of Eastern Avenue between Pape Avenue and Larchmount Avenue in the Toronto Film District. The site is comprised of three separate privately-owned properties: one, a car dealership at 601 Eastern Avenue; two, a former Toronto Film Studio building at 629 Eastern Avenue which would require demolition; and three, vacant land at 633 Eastern Avenue. The site is located immediately adjacent to two active film studios and a residential neighbourhood to the north. 3. Unwin Avenue (Lots 447-449, 451) – the nearly 23-acre site is comprised of four properties owned by the Toronto Economic Development Corporation – now known as the Toronto Port Lands Company. The site is located adjacent to other industrial uses and was once used to stage granular material. 4. Cascade Site – this 25-acre site is located on the south side of Commissioners Street at Basin Street, comprising private land owned by the Toronto Port Lands Company. There are active businesses on the site which would require relocation, as well as an abandoned cardboard box factory. Industrial land uses and an active film studio are adjacent to the site. 5. Concrete Plant – this 25-acre site is located at the southwest corner of Leslie Street and Commissioners Street. The site includes an active concrete batch plant which would require relocation. The plant currently has a long-term lease with the Toronto Port Lands Company. 6. Old Hearn Generating Plant – this 32-acre site is located on Unwin Avenue west of Leslie Street. The plant, owned by the Ontario Power Generation, would require demolition of the building. The six sites and their relative locations are illustrated in Figure 2-2. Further screening of the six properties was based on the following criteria: Property characteristics: current use, availability, east of acquisition and size of property. Community considerations: adjacent land uses including, residential communities, businesses and industries. Operational issues: operational impediments (i.e., rail track crossings), distance to be travelled by LRVs from potential site to existing streetcar routes. Schedule / timing: potential for site to be developed and in service by the end of 2012 8 . Costs. The evaluation criteria table for the site selection process is enclosed in Appendix A. Three sites were identified as those that could meet the project requirements and scheduled completion date of 2012. Two of those sites – Eastern Avenue and Ashbridges Bay – were identified as being able to meet the operational requirements. TTC hosted three pre-consultation public open house meetings on June 16, 17 and 18, 2009 to engage residents about the site options. During the events, a series of 37 display panels was presented, identifying the rationale for the project, requirements of the new facility, the fourteen sites that were investigated, screening criteria, an assessment of the six sites based on the screening criteria and the selection of the three sites with the highest potential. In total, 184 people „signed in‟ to the public meetings. TTC received nearly 140 public comments. 8. At the time the site selection analysis was undertaken, TTC identified a target date of 2012 to complete the facility. TTC is now targeting a 2013 date for facility completion.
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Ashbridges Bay Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Maintenance and Storage Facility – Transit Project Assessment – Environmental Project Report
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2. Project Description
2.1 Background
2.1.1 Program of Requirements and Conceptual Design
The Program of Requirements and Conceptual Design study for all of TTC‟s new LRV maintenance and storage
facilities has been completed by AECOM which identifies the needs for the maintenance and storage facility, and
expands on TTC‟s Streetcar Maintenance and Repair Facilities Master Plan.
The new low floor LRV maintenance and storage facility will be designed and outfitted to perform all levels of LRV
maintenance except for:
mid-life vehicle overhauls
component repairs and overhauls
The major design objectives for the Ashbridges Bay LRV maintenance and storage facility are to:
Provide direct vehicle access to all servicing and maintenance facilities on site;
Minimize any reverse or conflicting train movements. Ideally, a storage yard with both front end and back
end loops should be provided;
Effectively separate the movements of steel wheel and rubber tire vehicles on site;
Provide facilities to efficiently perform required yard activities; and
Minimize travel distances for train operators and maintenance personnel around the yard.
2.2 Site Selection
An extensive property search for potential sites of the proposed maintenance and storage facility was initiated in
February 2009 and was guided by the following requirements:
22 acres of property is required to accommodate the site;
The potential site must be located in close proximity to the existing streetcar network;
The potential site should minimize the need to relocate existing business and their facilities; and
The potential site should minimize / avoid crossing of existing rail road tracks.
Fourteen sites, extending from Mimico to Ashbridges Bay were assessed as potential locations to accommodate the
maintenance and storage facility (see Figure 2-1)
Of the fourteen sites screened, six of these sites met the minimum property requirements established for the
maintenance and storage facility. The six sites included:
1. Ashbridges Bay – the 22-acre site is located on the southeast corner of Leslie Street and Lake Shore
Boulevard East adjacent to the Ashbridges Bay Water Treatment Plant, the City of Toronto Works
Yard and other industrial / commercial land uses. The site was originally owned by the Toronto Port
Authority with a long-term lease to the City. The site has since been purchased by the City of Toronto.
2. Eastern Avenue – the 22-acre site is located on the south side of Eastern Avenue between Pape
Avenue and Larchmount Avenue in the Toronto Film District. The site is comprised of three separate
privately-owned properties: one, a car dealership at 601 Eastern Avenue; two, a former Toronto Film
Studio building at 629 Eastern Avenue which would require demolition; and three, vacant land at 633
Eastern Avenue. The site is located immediately adjacent to two active film studios and a residential
neighbourhood to the north.
3. Unwin Avenue (Lots 447-449, 451) – the nearly 23-acre site is comprised of four properties owned
by the Toronto Economic Development Corporation – now known as the Toronto Port Lands
Company. The site is located adjacent to other industrial uses and was once used to stage granular
material.
4. Cascade Site – this 25-acre site is located on the south side of Commissioners Street at Basin Street,
comprising private land owned by the Toronto Port Lands Company. There are active businesses on
the site which would require relocation, as well as an abandoned cardboard box factory. Industrial
land uses and an active film studio are adjacent to the site.
5. Concrete Plant – this 25-acre site is located at the southwest corner of Leslie Street and
Commissioners Street. The site includes an active concrete batch plant which would require
relocation. The plant currently has a long-term lease with the Toronto Port Lands Company.
6. Old Hearn Generating Plant – this 32-acre site is located on Unwin Avenue west of Leslie Street.
The plant, owned by the Ontario Power Generation, would require demolition of the building.
The six sites and their relative locations are illustrated in Figure 2-2.
Further screening of the six properties was based on the following criteria:
Property characteristics: current use, availability, east of acquisition and size of property.
Community considerations: adjacent land uses including, residential communities, businesses and
industries.
Operational issues: operational impediments (i.e., rail track crossings), distance to be travelled by LRVs
from potential site to existing streetcar routes.
Schedule / timing: potential for site to be developed and in service by the end of 20128.
Costs.
The evaluation criteria table for the site selection process is enclosed in Appendix A.
Three sites were identified as those that could meet the project requirements and scheduled completion date of 2012.
Two of those sites – Eastern Avenue and Ashbridges Bay – were identified as being able to meet the operational
requirements.
TTC hosted three pre-consultation public open house meetings on June 16, 17 and 18, 2009 to engage residents about
the site options. During the events, a series of 37 display panels was presented, identifying the rationale for the project,
requirements of the new facility, the fourteen sites that were investigated, screening criteria, an assessment of the six
sites based on the screening criteria and the selection of the three sites with the highest potential. In total, 184 people
„signed in‟ to the public meetings. TTC received nearly 140 public comments.
8. At the time the site selection analysis was undertaken, TTC identified a target date of 2012 to complete the facility. TTC is now targeting a 2013 date for facility completion.
Ashbridges Bay Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Maintenance and Storage Facility – Transit Project Assessment – Environmental Project Report
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Figure 2-1 LRV Maintenance and Storage Facility Property Search
Ashbridges Bay Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Maintenance and Storage Facility – Transit Project Assessment – Environmental Project Report
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Figure 2-2 LRV Maintenance and Storage Facility Site Selection
In completing the evaluation of the three remaining sites, the Unwin site was considered too costly because of
additional expenses attributed to extra connection tracks, the need to construct a new bridge on Unwin Avenue (to
replace the one lane bridge the City had just installed one year earlier), and additional operational (deadhead) costs for
the additional one kilometre of track between Commissioners Street and the Unwin site. TTC also raised concerns that
the tracks leading to the Unwin site would cross existing Class 1 railway tracks multiple times. The Eastern Avenue
option was excluded from consideration because the maintenance and storage facility would be located immediately
adjacent to a residential community. Additionally, the cost to construct the facility on the Eastern Avenue site would be
higher than the Ashbridges Bay site. Strong public opposition to the Eastern Avenue site was raised at each of the
three public open house meetings. Conversely, a majority of the input received showed equal support for the
Ashbridges Bay and Unwin sites.
As a result, TTC identified the Ashbridges Bay as the technically preferred site. The recommended site is located at the
southeast corner of Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard East immediately north of the Ashbridges Bay Wastewater
Treatment Facility. The site was selected as the technically preferred site due to the following key advantages:
The site is located within close proximity (0.8 kilometres) from the existing Queen Street East streetcar