“I didn’t get elected to make traffic worse, and let’s be clear, removing that piece of the Gardiner will almost certainly make traffic worse,” Tory said after assembling reporters in his city hall office. “There was little doubt in my mind during the campaign, and there’s little doubt today, that tearing down the eastern section of the Gardiner would only make matters worse.”
In the long run, the difference to see out the hybrid option, which largely consists of relocating on/off ramps, would cost the city $919 million — nearly twice as much as the cost of removal, estimated at $461 million.
Tory said when the cost of lost productivity caused by traffic headaches is considered — a recent University of Toronto study put it at $36.6 million annually — the cost is only “slightly greater.”
The hybrid option would also require the city to find an additional $128 million in capital funds earmarked for 2020 to 2026.
Public works and infrastructure committee meets Wednesday to debate the options, but could simply forward both staff-recommended possibilities to council, who will ultimately decide what to do at a June meeting.
Though he sent an email to councillors stating his position Tuesday afternoon, Tory said he is not actively lobbying the rest of council to vote in favour of the hybrid option.
Tory also promised to look at uses for dead space under the expressway, citing examples from other cities that include parks, galleries and markets.
The fate of the Gardiner has much on the line for Tory, who promised during his mayoral campaign not only to bolster business, but also to curb traffic congestion.
Tory imagined turning the East Don Lands into a business hub inspired by London’s Canary Wharf — the kind of commercial redevelopment already proposed by developers like First Gulf.
First Gulf president and CEO David Gerofsky says their company — which first raised the hybrid option last term as it looked to build upon the current Unilever site — supports either a hybrid or removal option. City staff say either option will unlock the land for development.
Opening up the Unilever site would also be crucial to Tory’s plan for SmartTrack, which looks to leverage future development to pay for the city’s share of an $8-billion plan. The Unilever location is just one of 22 proposed stops for the heavy rail line.
A decision on the Gardiner must come quickly, staff noted in their report. Reconstruction work to mend the crumbling Gardiner was only planned to hold until 2020.
Source: thestar.com/
Author: Jennifer Pagliaro
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