Item - 2025.IE23.5

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 937, Temporary Closing of Highways, to delegate to the General Manager, Transportation Services, for the duration of the Granby Traction Power Substation (TPSS) and Duct Bank Replacement project from November 1, 2025 until April 30, 2026, inclusive, the authority to temporarily close to vehicular and pedestrian traffic any highway or portion of highway, with the exception of those highways listed in Section 937-4 of Code Chapter 937, as required for the purpose of construction of the Traction Power Upgrade Project contract number S75-7 as detailed on Attachment 1 to the report (June 25, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, and City Council exempt the General Manager of Transportation Services, in carrying out this delegated authority from Section 937-5 of Chapter 937, that being the requirement to notify the local Ward Councillor of the pending closure and the requirement to report on the proposed closure if so requested by the local Ward Councillor.

2. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 27, Council Procedures, to provide that the current delegation to Community Council to temporarily close public lanes or public alleys, local roads, collector roads, and minor arterial roads does not include closures delegated to the General Manager, Transportation Services, in carrying out the authority in Recommendation 1 above.

3. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services and the Toronto Transit Commission to report back to Infrastructure and Environment Committee on the five remaining Traction Power Upgrade projects listed in Attachment 1 to the report (June 25, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, with complete traffic mitigation plans prior to submitting any lane or road closure permit requests.

4. City Council authorize the City Solicitor, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services, to prepare the necessary bills required to give effect to City Council’s decisions and to make such clarifications, minor modifications, technical or stylistic refinements as may be identified by the City Solicitor.

City Council at its meeting on April 23 and 24, 2025, item - 2025.IE20.4, requested the General Manager, Transportation Services, to report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee with information on: 

a. any necessary authorities for lane closures greater than 30 days for the first Toronto Transit Commission Traction Power Upgrade project in Table 2, contract S75-7 in the report (March 31, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, including details of the anticipated traffic impacts, the traffic impact mitigation measures to be implemented and steps and measures taken to ensure the amount and duration of lane closures are minimized; and 

b. the delegated authority being sought in Recommendation 2 in the report (March 31, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services for the remaining five Traction Power Upgrade projects in described in Table 2 in the report (March 31, 2025) from the General Manager, Transportation Services. 

Transportation Services is seeking delegated authority for the six (6) projects part of the Traction Power Upgrade program in order to be capable of expediting the issuance of road closure permits for these critical transit upgrade projects.  Contract S75-7 (Granby Traction Power Substation and Duct Bank Replacement Project), is the first contract in the Traction Power Upgrade program scheduled for construction, and per Council direction, project-specific details of the planned road closure for this project are provided in this report.  The traffic mitigation measures implemented for contract S75-7 will be considered for the remaining projects, with context specific measures approved by Transportation Services as part of the required road closure permits.