Item - 2020.IE14.13

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to work with the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place as may be required to establish and implement a Transportation Innovation Zone at Exhibition Place.

2. City Council authorize the use of the property of Exhibition Place for a transportation innovation zone for up to five years on the condition that the operations of the innovation zone do not interfere or inhibit with public access to the Exhibition Place grounds used as parks or open space. 

3. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back on the establishment and implementation of a Transportation Innovation Zone at Exhibition Place in the pending report to Infrastructure and Environment Committee on the framework for, and designation of, innovation zones, as directed for no later than the fourth quarter of 2020.

Urban transportation is undergoing rapid change from the arrival of new, innovative mobility technologies such as micromobility, private transportation companies, as well as electric, connected, and automated vehicles. Other, less visible shifts are also underway, such as the development of smarter traffic control systems, new paving materials, and new ways of monitoring and evaluating the transportation system.

Leading up to and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many advanced technologies and approaches are being proposed to support the movement of people and goods. City staff need a way to transparently trial and evaluate innovations in order to understand their potential value in Toronto's unique context and plan for wider integration. New technologies need to be demonstrated and measured in a controlled, real-world environment to understand potential benefits and impacts to key variables like safety, accessibility and privacy.

Real-world test environments can also support local economic development by providing access to innovators, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, who are developing custom solutions in the Toronto area. Further, public test environments provide an opportunity for participants to engage the public and demonstrate the potential value of their technologies. To meet these needs, the Transportation Innovation Zones program will facilitate trials of transportation approaches and technologies in the public right of way.

With this report, Transportation Services staff are proposing to partner with Exhibition Place, an agency of the City of Toronto, to establish and implement the flagship Transportation Innovation Zone at Exhibition Place. The Exhibition Place Board of Directors supports this proposal. These grounds offer a unique environment near downtown that can be customized for a wide array of trials, making it attractive to innovators. The City of Toronto and Exhibition Place share a mutual interest in supporting the advancement of urban transportation, building on a strong history of innovation at this landmark site.