Toronto creates Transit Expansion Office to oversee large projects

TORONTO — The City of Toronto is establishing a new Transit Expansion Office that will be mandated to lead the city’s participation in long-term, multi-billion-dollar transit network expansion projects.

The city is also beginning the search for the office’s first executive director, said a recent statement.

“Fast and reliable transit is a priority in building toward a vibrant future for our city. Given the size and complexity of Toronto’s transit expansion portfolio, we’re searching for a leader who will put in place a team that can effectively co-ordinate projects among city divisions and agencies, and work closely with other orders of government to best serve our residents,” said city manager Chris Murray in the statement.

The new Transit Expansion Office will be responsible for providing oversight of transit expansion projects as they advance through the project life cycle, said the statement, and will:

oversee and facilitate all processes related to transit expansion initiatives

ensure that city interests and priorities are reflected in transit network expansion efforts

serve as a “single point of contact for all city divisions, the TTC, Metrolinx and other orders of government to co-ordinate municipal programs and services required to advance transit expansion projects and ensure that transit-related municipal processes are streamlined for the city.”

Upcoming projects include the SmartTrack Stations Program and the GO Expansion Program, while other transit expansion projects to be steered include the Relief Line, the Bloor-Danforth subway extension into Scarborough, the Eglinton East LRT, the Eglinton West LRT and the Waterfront Transit Network.

“We are building a connected transit network that will help people move around our city. We are reorganizing the city government to ensure we have an office focused on getting our major transit projects built as soon as possible,” said Mayor John Tory. “Council has approved Toronto’s transit network plan, voters have endorsed it and this office will be tasked with making sure every project in that plan, including the Relief Line, is completed on time and on budget.”