The Big Move rapid transit projects

The Big Move is a regional transportation plan (RTP) published in 2008 and consisting of 62 rapid transit projects to be implemented across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). These rapid transit projects are intended to form a seamlessly integrated regional rapid transit network, which is the first priority action in the regional transportation plan. These projects form two long-term templates with 15 and 25 year horizons. These templates outline broad projects; specific details about technology, alignment, stations and service levels for each project are subsequently determined though a cost–benefit analysis or an environmental assessment process.

List of projects

Horizon	Type	Project		Termini
15 years	Express rail	1	Lakeshore West and East	/
		2	Kitchener
	Regional rail	3	Niagara extension
		4	Milton
		5	Georgetown
		6	Union Pearson Express	Pearson Airport
		8	Crosstown	/	Summerhill
		9	Barrie
		10	Richmond Hill
		11	Richmond Hill
		12	Stouffville
		14	Seaton	Seaton	/ Summerhill
		15	Lakeshore East
	Subway	16	Spadina extension
		17	Yonge extension		Richmond Hill Centre
		48	Relief Line
	Other rapid transit (LRT/BRT/AGT)	18	A-Line		Hamilton Airport
		19	B-Line	McMaster University	Eastgate Square
		20	Burlington Connector	Downtown Burlington
		21	Dundas Street BRT	Brant Street
		22	Trafalgar	Highway 407
		23	403 Transitway		Renforth
		24	Highway 10	Mayfield West
		25	Main Street	Downtown Brampton	Highway 407
		26	Hurontario LRT	Highway 407
		27	Waterfront West LRT
		28	Züm Queen	Downtown Brampton	Peel-York boundary
		29	Viva Highway 7	Peel-York boundary	Locust Hill
		30	Finch West LRT	Pearson Airport
		31	Eglinton Crosstown LRT	Pearson Airport
		32	Highway 427 South	Pearson Airport
		33	Jane
		34	Don Mills	Highway 7
		35	Viva Yonge	Richmond Hill Centre
		36	Sheppard East LRT		Meadowvale Road
		37	Scarborough RT		Malvern
		38	Highway 2		Downtown Oshawa
		39	Brock Road	Pickering Town Centre	Highway 407
		40	Oshawa Connector		Downtown Oshawa
	BRT in mixed traffic	41	Highway 407		Brooklin
	New corridor	42	Highway 410 Extension	Bovaird Drive	Hurontario Street
		43	Highway 427 Extension	Highway 7	Major Mackenzie Drive
		44	Highway 404 Extension	East Gwillimbury	Keswick
		45	Highway 407 East	Highway 7	Highway 35/115
25 years	Express rail	46	Mississauga
		47	Richmond Hill	Langstaff Gateway
	Regional rail	4	Milton
		5	Georgetown
		7	Bolton	Bolton
		9	Barrie	Bradford
		13	Havelock	Locust Hill
	Other rapid transit (LRT/BRT/AGT)	49	T-Line	Centre Mall	Linc/Mohawk Road
		50	Brant		Dundas Street
		51	Trafalgar/Main		Highway 407
		52	Züm Steeles		Highway 427
		53	Highway 427 North	Pearson Airport	Queen Street
		54	407 Transitway	Highway 427
		55	Steeles
		56	Viva North	Davis Drive
		57	McCowan	Markham Centre
		58	Scarborough Malvern		Malvern
		59	Steeles/Taunton		Downtown Oshawa
		60	Simcoe	Downtown Oshawa	Highway 407
	New corridor	61	Niagara-GTA	Hamilton	Niagara
		62	GTA-West	Guelph	Bolton

Implementation

GO Transit Regional Express Rail

Main article: GO Transit Regional Express Rail

Regional Express Rail is a project to improve GO Transit train service by adding all-day, two-way service to the Barrie line and the inner portions of the Kitchener line and the Stouffville line, and by increasing frequency of train service on various lines to as often as every 15 minutes on five of the corridors. This would be achieved with the full electrification of the Lakeshore East line and the Barrie line and the electrification of the inner portions of the Lakeshore West line, the Kitchener line, the Barrie line and the Stouffville line.

Toronto

LRT projects

A mock-up of the Bombardier Flexity Freedom that will be used on LRT lines across the GTHA

On September 28, 2012, Metrolinx signed a master agreement with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to implement four new light rail transit lines in Toronto:

• Sheppard East LRT
• Finch West LRT
• Line 5 Eglinton
• Replacement of Line 3 Scarborough.

These projects were also identified in Transit City, a rapid transit plan announced by former Toronto Mayor David Miller and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone on March 16, 2007. After $4 billion in provincial funding for Transit City from the Ontario government was deferred, the projects were rolled into a "5 in 10" plan, referring to goal of completing the four LRT lines and a BRT line in ten years. The plan also included the purchase of 182 light rail vehicles from Bombardier Transportation.

In December 2010, Rob Ford, who succeeded David Miller as mayor, announced his intention to cancel key parts of Transit City, saying "we will not build any more rail tracks down the middle of our streets." However, he was open to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, given that it is primarily underground. Ford acknowledged that he will need council's support to put an end to Transit City. In early 2012, Toronto City Council voted in favour of motions to resume work on the Sheppard, Eglinton and Finch LRT lines, and on replacing the Scarborough RT, defeating Rob Ford's campaign for subways.

The subway debate has continued in regards to the replacement of Line 3 Scarborough. Toronto City Council voted in June 2013 for a proposal to build the Scarborough Subway Extension. In light of this, Metrolinx threatened to stop work on Scarborough rapid transit, or even walk away from the project. Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation Glen Murray was open to a modified project, as long as any costs that were additional to what the province originally committed. In September 2013, the Government of Ontario announced it would build a subway, but it would terminate at Scarborough Centre station, and consist of "a minimum" of two stops. The City of Toronto has moved forward with planning an extension of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth in Scarborough.

Subway projects

On November 29, 2012, Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig announced two subway projects for Toronto region that would be pursued in the upcoming 15 years:

• Relief Line
• Yonge North subway extension

A TTC study was completed in 2012 to address existing capacity constraints on the existing Yonge subway and GO Transit lines. The study projected even with planned improvements on both networks, significant capacity issues would remain by 2031, recommending that a Downtown Relief Line be completed prior to the Yonge subway extension. The Big Move initially ranked the downtown relief line as lower priority, for completion within a 25-year time frame, and Metrolinx Chair Rob MacIsaac stated in 2008 that the line is unlikely to be brought forward from its projected 2020 start date. By March 2012, TTC CEO Andy Byford stressed there was great need for additional subway capacity with the increasing rate of population growth in Toronto, and capacity issues along Line 1 Yonge–University, stating "The downtown relief line has got to be looked at and has got to be talked about right now." Metrolinx accordingly stated that capacity issues may allow the DRL to be given higher priority in The Big Move, which was made official with the Phase 2 announcement.

Peel Region

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MiWay and Züm are the bus rapid transit providers for Mississauga and Brampton, respectively.

The Hurontario LRT in Mississauga and Brampton will represent a replacement of existing express bus services offered by MiWay and Züm. The line will run from Steeles Avenue in the north to Port Credit in the south. This will allow connections to GO Transit's Milton and Lakeshore West lines, and bus terminals at Brampton Gateway, Mississauga City Centre, Square One, and Mississauga Hospital. The LRT was planned to extend further north along Main Street to Brampton GO Station, but Brampton City Council voted against this portion of the route. Construction is expected to commence in 2018, and the line is projected to enter service in 2022.

The Mississauga Transitway is another rapidway being built along Highway 403, Eastgate Parkway and Eglinton Avenue is being built in a partnership between the City of Mississauga and GO Transit. The transit corridor will run east–west across Mississauga, with all-station stop and extensive express bus service for thousands of riders per day. Construction began on the 18-kilometre segment between Winston Churchill Boulevard and Renforth Drive in August 2010. The first stretch opened between Hurontario Street and Dixie Road on November 17, 2014, with the rest of the project targeted for opening in 2016.

Hamilton

The Hamilton B-Line was identified as one of the top 15 priority projects in The Big Move, and along with the A-Line, is identified for completion within 15 years. It is also part of the larger BLAST network of rapid transit proposed for Hamilton. The first phase will see the B-Line run between McMaster University and Queenston Circle, as well as a segment of the A-Line to provide a direct connection to West Harbour GO Station, and a pedestrian corridor to the Hamilton GO Centre. Construction is expected to begin in 2019.

York Region

Metrolinx has also pursued constructing dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes, also known as "rapidways", for the Viva service in York region. Rapidways are one element of a $1.4 billion investment into York region's transit. The BRT service will include connections with GO Transit, regional transit and future extensions of the TTC subway system. Over 34 kilometres of rapidways are planned, with the goal of buses arriving every 2 to 5 minutes. Construction began in December 2009, and all elements are expected to be completed by 2020.

External links

• The Big Move - Overview and Message from the Chair
  • The Big Move - PDF
• Metrolinx - Official Site