Toronto's city council on Tuesday is expected to debate a proposed review of Porter Airline's request to fly jets in and out of Billy Bishop City Airport. The study, if approved, will cost more than $1 million and will require several months to complete, according to a City of Toronto staff report.
According to the report, phase one of the evaluation will cost between $225,000 to $275,000 and will be footed by Porter Airlines. A second, more complex study requiring the expertise of external consultants to examine a number of technical issues -- such as noise and air quality -- is pegged to cost between $800,000 and $1 million and is currently "underfunded."
"The review must be comprehensive in its approach and consider the overall impacts of airport expansion, not only the requests that have been put forward by Porter Airlines,
the staff report explains. “Consultation with the signatories to the Tripartite Agreement, the local community and airport stakeholders is essential to the completion of the review.”
Last month, Porter announced plans to purchase 12 new Bombardier CS100 jets in order to expand service across North America. While the airline has already inked a deal to purchase the jets -- along with an additional 18 to be bought at a later day -- Porter doesn’t yet have the approval to lengthen its runways or to actually fly the jets out of its downtown Toronto terminal.
City council is expected to vote on the review at 2 p.m. If approved, city staff will ask Porter and the Toronto Port Authority to help fund the second phase of the study.
The first phase of the study is expected to be completed by July 3, 2013.
GTA transit tax debate
Also on the agenda is whether the city should support Metrolinx’s plan to introduce a number of revenue-generating tools to help pay for the construction of a $50-billion regional transportation network spanning from Hamilton to Durham Region.
Dubbed "The Big Move," the transit plan debate was originally deferred until the end of the month but two-thirds of city council voted Tuesday to put the item back on the agenda.
"I think it’s important that city council have an opportunity to represent the city’s interests when we talk about raising revenue and make sure that residents are protected, small businesses are protected, and the needs of Torontonians are balanced against the needs of the region," TTC chair Karen Stintz told reporters.
The debate is now slated to take place on Wednesday.
Last month, after Metrolinx had announced its revenue-generating plan, Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee voted to defer the debate until May 28 -- just a few days shy of the June 1 deadline when Metrolinx is scheduled to present a final investment strategy to the province and the affected communities of the GTA.
Deferring the debate would have shut Toronto out of the provincial conversation, something some councillors believed the mayor wanted, as he’s been staunchly opposed to any revenue-generating options.
"Despite the mayor’s attempt to silence us, City Council votes 27-13 to have a critical debate about transit revenue tools," Coun. Mike Layton tweeted after the vote on Tuesday.
The 25-year transit expansion plan includes an extension of the Yonge subway into York Region, a new rapid transit in Mississauga, Brampton and Hamilton, a downtown Toronto relief subway line and changes to the GO Transit network.
With files from CTV Toronto’s Natalie Johnson and CP24.com
