HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLN 10-17 Report to
PICKERiNG Planning & Development Committee
Report Number: PLN 10-17
Date: June 5, 2017
From: Kyle Bentley
Director, City Development & CBO
Subject: VIA Rail Activities
- Delivering Sustainable Mobility to Canadians
- File: T 2800-001
Recommendations:
1. That Council request VIA Rail and Metrolinx to move forward with identifying, planning and
implementing a joint Pickering GO and VIA Rail station within the Pickering City Centre;
2. That Council support the efforts of VIA Rail in investigating the introduction of high frequency
rail service in the CN Havelock rail corridor; and
3. That a copy of this report, PLN 10-17, be forwarded to VIA Rail, Metrolinx,
the Ministry of Transportation, and the Region of Durham.
Executive Summary: In June 2016, Council passed a resolution requesting the Province and
Metrolinx to incorporate provisions in Metrolinx's Regional Transportation Plan (The Big Move) to
expedite the introduction of passenger rail service in the CN Havelock rail corridor. In January 2017,
City Staff requested that Metrolinx consider the development of a joint GO and VIA rail station at
the current Pickering GO station site, through its ongoing review of the Big Move. Recently,
VIA Rail indicated that it will be focusing efforts on maximizing its operations within its current
service corridors (i.e., improvements in the CN Mainline rail corridor) and investigating the
introduction of high speed dedicated passenger rail track serving residents within the
Québec City—Windsor corridor (i.e., potential service in the CN Havelock rail corridor).
Financial Implications: The recommendations of this report do not present any financial
implications for the City.
1. Background
In June 2016, Council passed a resolution requesting the Province and Metrolinx to
incorporate provisions in Metrolinx's Regional Transportation Plan (The Big Move)that would:
a) Establish new timelines that would see commencement of construction of a coordinated
transitway into Pickering and alignment with a potential Regional rail station, north of
Highway 7 and Brock Road, aligning with the Havelock rail line.
Report PLN 10-17 June 5, 2017
Subject: VIA Rail Activities (T 2800-001) Page 2
b) Extend the proposed route 13 Regional rail line using the Havelock line to Peterborough,
and establishing a time line of no more than ten years for its implementation.
In January 2017, City staff submitted a list of projects that should be considered by Metrolinx
through the review of the Regional Transportation Plan (The Big Move). This list included the
upgrade of the Pickering GO Station to include a VIA station.
On April 19, 2017, Councillor Brenner and City staff met with Jacques Fauteux,
Director of Government and Community Relations for VIA Rail Canada to discuss future
VIA rail services in the City of Pickering (see VIA Presentation — Delivering Sustainable
Mobility to Canadians, Attachment#1).
From 2011 to 2013, VIA Rail experienced a dramatic decline in both ridership and revenue.
To ensure the continued long term viability of VIA Rail, VIA established a long term strategy
focusing on: meeting the needs of its customers; simplifying the travel experience;
maximizing the use of its current infrastructure; introducing a new corridor fleet; and
identifying and implementing dedicated passenger rail tracks. To date, much of VIA's
attention has been focused on customer service and travel experience improvements,
including improved on-train and in-station services, and new customer centres and
customer relations services. The result has been steady improvement in both ridership and
revenue from 2014 to 2016.
With this success, VIA's efforts are now shifting to maximizing operations within its current
service corridors, and establishing a new high speed dedicated passenger rail track serving
residents within the Québec City —Windsor corridor.
2. Maximizing Operations within the CN Mainline Corridor
The Pickering City Centre corresponds to the Downtown Pickering Urban Growth Centre
designated in the Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The vision for
the Pickering City Centre is that it will be a vibrant, sustainable, accessible and distinct
city centre for all people and all seasons. It will be a place to inspire, a place to gather,
a place to work, and a place to live, all in a compact and walkable environment.
To support growth and travel to and from the Pickering City Centre, the City Centre contains
a Mobility Hub that is designated in Metrolinx's Regional Transportation Plan. Mobility hubs
act as gateways and key entry points to the community, providing a critical link between the
City, the surrounding Region, and its transportation system. With this in mind, the City of Pickering
has taken steps to focus growth and development around the Pickering GO Station, allowing
people to be nearer to higher speed and higher frequency transit services. The mobility hub
in Pickering links the community to transit services both north and south of Highway 401 via
a pedestrian bridge, the only one of its type along the Highway 401 corridor.
Report PLN 10-17 June 5, 2017
Subject: VIA Rail Activities (T 2800-001) Page 3
The establishment of a joint VIA and GO Station within Pickering would complement the
development of this mobility hub, providing opportunities for business travel to and from
Pickering, to locations outside the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. As part of the review
of its Regional Transportation Plan, Metrolinx has identified the development of a joint
GO and VIA rail station in its long list of potential infrastructure and transit service improvements.
3. Creating a Dedicated Passenger Track
A dedicated passenger rail track within the Québec City —Windsor corridor is an important
part of Canada's transportation system. Since 2015, VIA has increased ridership and
revenue, demonstrating the relevance of trains within this corridor. However, as the number
of freight trains, commuter trains and VIA Rail trains continue to climb in the CN Mainline
along Lake Ontario, it will become increasingly difficult for VIA's passenger trains to improve
on-time performance. Without the reliability of on-time trains, Canadians will continue to
choose their cars for shorter trips within the corridor, which will increase congestion and
create unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions.
As such, VIA is considering the development of a dedicated track, using a new, more efficient
train car fleet. This dedicated track would be within the current CN Havelock rail corridor and
it is expected that this track will:
• Relieve congestion, particularly in and out of major urban centres
• Boost economic development and benefits along the railway corridor
• Deliver a safer rail infrastructure and a more sustainable rail transportation system
• Maximize ridership and revenue potential of passenger routes where market demand warrants
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants that contribute to climate change
and smog
• Create a self-funding project that will significantly reduce government subsidies within the
corridor
The dedicated passenger track project would also allow the improvement to the current
frequencies operating on the shared environment to better meet regional needs for increased
service. It is important to note that within Pickering the CN Havelock rail corridor would
provide an intermodal transportation hub that could serve the Pickering Innovation Corridor
and the proposed future airport site.
4. Supporting the Activities of VIA Rail
Staff recommend that Council request VIA Rail and Metrolinx to move forward with
identifying, planning and implementing a joint GO and VIA rail station within the Pickering
City Centre. Staff also recommend that Council support the efforts of VIA Rail in
investigating the introduction of high frequency rail service in the CN Havelock rail corridor.
Report PLN 10-17 June 5, 2017
Subject: VIA Rail Activities (T 2800-001) Page 4
Attachments:
1. VIA Presentation — Delivering Sustainable Mobility to Canadians
Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By:
41&;‘,10 —
Jeff Brooks, MCIP, RPP, AMCT Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP
Manager, Policy & Geomatics Chief Planner
Px-4-
Kyle Bentley
Director, City Development & CBO
JB:Ic
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering City Council
CePelj . 14 2,17 -
Tony Prevedel, P.Eng.
Chief Administrative Officer
Attachment No. 1 to
Report No. PLN 10 -17
VIA Presentation
Developing Sustainable Mobility to Canadians
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