TORONTO — The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has announced it will allocate $40 million in partnership with Metrolinx to prepare technical reports on the proposed extension of the Eglinton Crosstown West from Renforth Avenue to Pearson airport.
A Nov. 29 GTAA statement said the study is part of a process to enhance transit connections to a new “mega hub” at the airport and build a regional transit network, anchored by a new regional transit centre at Pearson it is calling Union Station West.
The plan would link the airport to the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, announced by the provincial government in April.
The GTAA previously announced spending of $38 million on the proposals.
The current GTAA-Metrolinx joint program involves expanding rapid transit access to Pearson Airport and could include ground connections to the future Union Station West and surrounding Airport Employment Zone, a potential Kitchener GO rail corridor connection, and improved LRT and bus connections.
The GTAA also released a summary of discussions with stakeholders across the region on such issues as connectivity for regional airports, economic zones and the last-mile within the Airport Employment Zone, and how Union Station West can support these connections. The report is available at torontopearson.com/transit.
The report concluded the region’s current radial transit system is inadequate for connections between the Greater Golden Horseshoe’s economic and employment centres, the statement said.
The goods movement sector is straining under intense road congestion, the report said, leading to increased consumer prices, lower profits and reduced productivity.
There are over 300,000 employees in the Airport Employment Zone.
“Significant improvements to our regional transit system are required for our region to be able to compete globally, and that is why we are making this financial investment to advance this work,” said Howard Eng, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, in the release.
“We will continue to push for improved transit that connects to Toronto Pearson and the Airport Employment Zone as well as the creation of Union Station West.”
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