A billion-dollar plan for a massive light rapid transit network across Toronto will be unveiled Friday morning, the Toronto Transit Commission has confirmed.
The proposal includes the construction of between 60 and 80 kilometres of track, the Toronto Star reports.
The system is expected to include dedicated rights of way for the light rail vehicles, a key promise in Mayor David Miller's election platform.
Although the base of the new plan has been in the works for a while, TTC chairman Adam Giambrone told the Star "there are going to be some surprises."
"The goal is to inspire people," Giambrone said.
Miller's transit proposal included:
- A dedicated transit corridor on Finch Ave., in part utilizing the hydro right of way, to connect north Scarborough and north Etobicoke to the subway;
- Building a dedicated rapid transit line along Eglinton Ave. W. that will connect the St. Clair street car right of way to the airport;
- A west waterfront line linking Etobicoke to Union Station;
- Connecting the Sheppard subway line to Scarborough Town Centre; and
- Extending the Scarborough Rapid Transit (SRT) line to northeastern Scarborough.
Giambrone told the Star the TTC report will also likely cover a rapid transit route in the Don Mills corridor.
He said the all-in costs of building light rapid transit lines is about $30 million a kilometre, putting the price tag for an 80-kilometre system at a whopping $2.4 billion.
The light rail transit plan will take up to 15 years to complete, CTV's Desmond Brown reports.
The announcement comes one week after the federal government announced they would spend $962 million to improve transit in Toronto's suburbs and extend the Spadina subway line in Vaughan.
