Agenda

This meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee will be conducted with members participating in person and remotely.  

Members of Council, City Officials, and members of the public who register to speak will be provided with the video conference details closer to the meeting date.

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Closed Meeting Requirements: If the Infrastructure and Environment Committee wants to meet in closed session (privately), a member of the Committee must make a motion to do so and give the reason why the Committee has to meet privately (City of Toronto Act, 2006).

Notice to People Writing or Making Presentations to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee: The City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its Committees and Boards. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City’s website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it - such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address - available to the public, unless you expressly request the City to remove it.

Many Committee, Board, and Advisory Body meetings are broadcast live over the internet for the public to view. If you speak at the meeting you will appear in the video broadcast. Video broadcasts are archived and continue to be publicly available.

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This agenda and any supplementary materials submitted to the City Clerk can be found online at www.toronto.ca/council. Visit the website for access to all agendas, reports, decisions and minutes of City Council and its Committees and Boards.

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Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act

Confirmation of Minutes - January 9, 2024

Speakers/Presentations - The speakers list will be posted online at 8:30 a.m. on February 27, 2024.

Communications/Reports

The General Manager, Transportation Services recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to engage the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and members of the visually impaired community to undertake a pilot to provide construction closure information in an accessible format for the visually impaired.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to work with Toronto Police Service to develop a strategy to provide enforcement support of bylaw infractions such as blockage of signalized intersections and illegal blockage of bike lanes and dedicated transit lanes in support of the Traffic Agent program.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back in the third quarter of 2024 on a strategy to commence the charging of a road occupancy congestion management recovery fee that would be implemented in the Transportation Services 2025 budget proposal.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to further develop a roll - out strategy including public consultation to commence the implementation of peak hour delivery restrictions and to report back on the proposed strategy in the third quarter of 2024.

5. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to initiate Transportation Innovation projects outside of the Transportation Innovation Zone located at Exhibition Place and to include both pre-commercial and early-market technologies within the scope of future Innovation Challenges, when appropriate.

6. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, to enter into and execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ontario Centre for Innovation to collaborate on the piloting and evaluation of new technologies and Intelligent Transportation Systems within the transportation realm, upon such terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services.

7.  City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services.

The Congestion Management Plan (CMP) 2023-2026 was presented at the Infrastructure and Environment Committee (meeting held on October 25th, 2023) and then subsequently to Council (meeting held on November 8-9th, 2023). Since its adoption, there have been various requests via Councillor motions for Transportation Services to report back on a variety of specific aspects of the plan going forward. This report addresses the most recent compiled list of motions identified in IE10.5 - Congestion Management Update Request. Some of the key elements addressed in this report include:

- The feasibility of an increase to road occupation permit fees with the intent on recovering the full cost of a road closure including the congestion impacts;

- The status of work regarding "Don't Block the Box," requesting increased fines and the feasibility of expanding the red-light camera program to help deter this issue;

- Measures to improve upon wayfinding and accessibility around construction work zones;

- Opportunities to increase work hours for capital projects;

-The feasibility of fines that escalate for repeat offenders, such as illegal blocking of traffic lanes; and

- Measures to streamline delivery of goods to reduce congestion.

Some of the new technologies being explored through the updated Congestion Management Plan will require pilots to further develop concepts or to customize proven technologies in the Toronto context. Transportation Services staff have been working on a potential partnership with the Ontario Centre for Innovation that would serve as a catalyst for local Ontario-based companies to receive funding for pilots conducted on City of Toronto streets. This report provides a summary of the proposed arrangement and seeks approval for staff to proceed.

There is no financial impact from the adoption of the recommendations in this staff report.

All financial impacts for future years’ budget will be included in the 2025 Budget submission.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial implications as contained in the Financial Impact Section.

The General Manager, Transportation Services, recommends that:

1. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, increasing the penalty amounts generally as outlined in Attachments 3 and 4 of this report (February 12, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services with an implementation date of August 1, 2024.

2. City Council amend Section 950-101B of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, by:

a. deleting the phrase: "is equipped to receive a Level 2 SAE J1772 Conductive Charge Coupler (i.e., Level 2 charging capability)" such that the revised definition would read:

"ELECTRIC VEHICLE - A vehicle that has an electric motor that can be powered by drawing current from rechargeable storage batteries or other portable electrical energy storage devices, includes a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and for the purposes of recharging its batteries."; and,

b.  inserting in alphabetical order a new definition for ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING SPACE as follows:

"ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING SPACE - that portion of which is identified for parking use by an Electric Vehicle."

3.  City Council amend Section 950-601 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, to include a new Subsection S as follows:

"S. Where authorized signs to that effect are displayed identifying an Electric Vehicle Parking Space, no person shall park a vehicle in an Electric Vehicle Parking Space in a car-park set out in Schedule XXXIV to § 950-1333 unless the vehicle is an Electric Vehicle and the Electric Vehicle is actively connected to the electric vehicle charging station."

4.  City Council amend Sections 950-1200B and 950-1201A by deleting the phrase "or 950-601P" and inserting the phrase ", 950-601P or 950-601S".

5. City Council amend Section 915-1 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 915, Parking on Private or Municipal Property, by inserting in alphabetical order a definition of ELECTRIC VEHICLE and a definition of ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING SPACE as follows:

"ELECTRIC VEHICLE - A vehicle that has an electric motor that can be powered by drawing current from rechargeable storage batteries or other portable electrical energy storage devices, includes a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and for the purposes of recharging its batteries.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING SPACE - that portion of which is identified for parking use by an Electric Vehicle."

6. City Council amend Section 915-2 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 915, Parking on Private or Municipal Property, to include a new Subsection D and E, as follows:

"D. Where the property owner or occupant has posted signs identifying an electric vehicle parking space, no person shall park or leave a motor vehicle in an electric vehicle parking space on municipal property unless the motor vehicle is an Electric Vehicle and the Electric Vehicle is actively connected to the electric vehicle charging station.    

E. Where the property owner or occupant has posted signs identifying an electric vehicle parking space, no person shall park or leave a motor vehicle in a parking space on private property unless the motor vehicle is an Electric Vehicle and the Electric Vehicle is actively connected to the electric vehicle charging station."      

7.   City Council amend Sections 915-10B and 915-10C by deleting the phrase "or § 915-2B" where it appears and inserting the phrase ", § 915-2B, § 915-2D or § 915-2E".

8.  City Council amend the definition of Electric Vehicle in Section 910-1A of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 910, Parking Machines, Parking Meters and Mobile Only Zones, by deleting the phrase: "is equipped to receive a Level 2 SAE J1772 Conductive Charge Coupler (i.e., Level 2 charging capability)" such that the revised definition would read:

"ELECTRIC VEHICLE - A vehicle that has an electric motor that can be powered by drawing current from rechargeable storage batteries or other portable electrical energy storage devices, includes a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and for the purposes of recharging its batteries."

9. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, generally as set out in Attachment 5 to the report (February 12, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

10. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor or General Manager, Transportation Services, in order to give effect to Recommendations 1 to 9, inclusive.

This report responds to a request from the Infrastructure and Environment Committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the various on-street parking administrative penalty amounts and to report back on revised administrative penalty amounts.

Transportation Services has been working with a number of City agencies to review the Parking Violation Notices (PVN) issued by the City of Toronto and has conducted a jurisdictional scan of several Canadian municipalities to compare similar offences and their penalty amounts to those of the City of Toronto. As a result of this review, this report recommends Council approval to increase penalty amounts for 125 offences associated with 'parking', 'stopping' and 'standing'. The recommended increase in penalty amounts will ensure better alignment with penalty amounts in other jurisdictions, encourage compliance, ensure certain offences are set at levels commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, and ensure that offences within the same categories are set at the same penalty amount for consistency.

City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, will need to be amended to reflect the new penalty amounts.

This report also recommends establishing parking offences for electric vehicle charging parking stalls in off-street parking facilities as well as adding new or updating existing definition(s) related to Electric Vehicles ("EVs").

Currently, operators of off-street parking facilities, including the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA), have limited enforcement capabilities concerning EV parking due to a lack of offence provisions in the City of Toronto Municipal Code concerning parking in portions of parking facilities set aside for the charging of EVs. This absence of regulatory provisions restricts parking facility operators from ticketing non-EV’s parking in designated EV charging spaces, or ticketing EVs parked in designated EV charging spaces that are not actively charging.

The General Manager, Transportation Services, has consulted with the TPA as well as with operators and customers of off-street parking facilities which are regulated by Chapter 915.

As a result of the consultation by the General Manager, Transportation Services, and general observations concerning the needs relating to a positive customer experience for EV charging customers, this report is recommending amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, and City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 915, Parking on Private or Municipal Property, to introduce new offence provisions related to electric vehicle charging parking. This would allow the enforcement of the usage of off-street EV charging spaces and promote compliance. City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, will also need to be amended to reflect the new offence provisions and associated penalty amounts for the offence provisions.

Although the intent of the recommended increase in penalty amounts will ensure better alignment with penalty amounts in other jurisdictions, encourage compliance with the City's parking by-laws, ensure certain offences are set at levels commensurate with the seriousness of the offence and assist the City in regulating the flow of traffic, assuming the 2023 level of offence volumes, the City could collect an added $62 million in revenue although it is expected that  the actual revenue increase would be $40 to $50 million.

There is no financial impact to Transportation Services resulting from the adoption of the recommendations in this report.

The Parking Enforcement Unit (PEU) of Toronto Police Service will experience additional financial and operational impacts when the implementation of the parking penalty increases come into effect at the appropriate time. The Parking Enforcement Unit will need to align updated electronic parking enforcement e-ticketing software updates and when delivery is expected of manual parking tickets with the new penalty increases.

In addition, the Parking Enforcement Unit will require $150,000.00 in additional City funds in 2024 to purchase approximately 400,000 parking tickets to update their current manual parking stock. The current stock that will be outdated with the old penalty amounts will not be usable by Municipal Law Enforcement Officers, Police Officers and Parking Enforcement Officers when their electronic system is down. 

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

The General Manager, Transportation Services recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to negotiate, enter into and execute a Pavement Restoration Funding Agreement with Metrolinx for the City to receive from Metrolinx up to $5,000,000 in funding to be utilized towards the road rehabilitation costs for Eglinton Avenue, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

The construction of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (ECLRT) has caused significant pavement degradation along Eglinton Avenue. While Metrolinx's contractor Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS) is tasked with restoring pavement at the tunnelled stations and the at-grade section, the City is responsible for road restoration of sections between the tunnelled stations. Despite not being directly impacted by construction, these roadway sections have experienced deterioration due to influx of heavy construction traffic and maintenance delays attributable to the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit project.

Recognizing the impact of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit construction, Metrolinx has collaborated with the City to develop a cost-share framework for rehabilitation of these roadway sections. This staff report provides details of the cost-share framework and requests City Council authorization to finalize an agreement with Metrolinx, securing their financial contribution towards the road rehabilitation costs. Furthermore, by utilizing Metrolinx funding, the City aims to complete road resurfacing on several sections of Eglinton Avenue in 2024 with the remaining sections scheduled in 2025.

There is no financial impact. The anticipated funding to be provided by Metrolinx has already been included as part of the 2024-2033 Capital Budget submission under CTP820-06 for consideration by Council.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

The General Manager, Transportation Services and the Executive Director, Transit Expansion recommend that:  

1. Infrastructure and Environment Committee receives this report for information.

In response to the Member Motion MM13.3, this report provides a comprehensive overview of the Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown West Extension (ECWE) Elevated Guideway alignment and its setback from Eglinton Avenue West. Additionally, the report examines potential opportunities to minimize setback requirements and relocate the guideway closer to Eglinton Avenue West.

There is no financial impact to the City. Metrolinx and the Project Co. are responsible for all costs related to the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project, including payment of fees to the City for the occupancy of the right-of-way occupancy permits. The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

The General Manager, Transportation Services recommends that:  

1. City Council endorse the preferred solutions for the Rouge Park Bridges Transportation Master Plan, which includes the following:

a. Retain Sewells Bridge and Maxwell’s Bridge with minor rehabilitations; and,

b. Replace Milne Bailey Bridge, Hillside Bridge, and Stott’s Bridge with sympathetically designed bridges; and explore opportunities for adaptive re-use of the bridges elsewhere in the Rouge National Urban Park, or alternatively adaptive re-use of bridge elements within the replaced bridges, where feasible.

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to prepare the Rouge Park Bridges Transportation Master Plan Report, issue the Notice of Completion, and put the Transportation Master Plan in the public record in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process.

The City of Toronto owns and manages transportation infrastructure within the boundaries of the Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP). Under agreement with Parks Canada, the City provides basic municipal services, such as police, fire and emergency services and winter maintenance, and the City owns bridge structures within the Park that function as part of the transportation network.

Transportation Services, in partnership with Engineering and Construction Services has completed a Transportation Master Plan (TMP) for five bridges that cross over the Rouge River and Little Rouge River, as well as two CP Rail corridor underpasses within the Rouge National Urban Park. All five bridges considered in the Transportation Master Plan require repairs and / or rehabilitation as they are at or nearing the end of their service life. Most of the bridges were built in the early 1900s and are historically significant, and as a result, planning for rehabilitation triggers the need to complete a Schedule B Environmental Assessment under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process.

The Transportation Master Plan Environmental Assessment process holistically reviewed the area transportation network against other environmental factors to determine where it was warranted to rehabilitate or replace bridges to meet current standards and growth requirements, versus where it was possible to maintain heritage assets through minor repairs while still meeting transportation needs. The Preferred Solutions recommended in this report include retaining the Sewells Bridge and Maxwell’s Bridge and replacing the Hillside Bridge, Milne Bailey Bridge and Stott’s Bridge.

Finally, it was determined that opportunities to improve clearances on the CP Rail corridor underpasses requires further study to confirm whether it is possible to lower the road without impact to existing bridge abutments.

A preliminary capital cost estimate for design and construction of approximately $48,000,000 (in 2023 dollars and excluding any property acquisition costs) has been identified for the Preferred Solutions for the five bridges.

Subject to Council's approval of this report, staff will continue to advance the design of the Preferred Solutions identified in the Rouge Park Bridges Transportation Master Plan. The funding for preliminary design is estimated at $600,000 and has been included in the 2024-2033 capital budget (CTP515-01). As the costs of implementation are further refined, funding required for the implementation of the project will be reflected as part of future capital budget submission processes for consideration by Council.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

The Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee recommends that the Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommend that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services conduct no further electric kick-scooter (e-scooter) pilots or trials, because e-scooters:

a. present a significant safety hazard;
 

b. cause serious injuries;

c. are a barrier to accessibility; and

d. enforcement is untenable.

At its meeting on February 5, 2024, the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee considered Item DI5.1 and a recommendation to City Council.

Councillor Stephen Holyday recommends that:

1. The Infrastructure and Environment Committee request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the local community and appropriate Divisions, and in alignment with the Centennial Park Master Plan, to consider as part of the phased implementation of the proposed Baseball Hub, the potential for complimentary and supporting amenities that ensure a successful user experience in both the short and long-term and for staff to explore the potential for inclusion of batting cages with a viable operating model.

With the approval by City Council of the updated Centennial Master Plan in 2021 through 2021.IE25.10, there have been a number of active projects and changes underway in the park. Among them are the installation of a new baseball hub near the heart of the park, along with pickleball and play areas. The installation of the new facilities has been made possible because the Mini Indy amusement complex ceased operations in late 2023, opening the necessary space for the new installations. The former Mini Indy amusement complex was privately operated for profit, and contained a go-kart track, beach volleyball, and batting cages where visitors, for a fee, could take swings at pitches delivered by a machine. Public input, including feedback at the consultation in January 2024 for the next phase of park improvements, indicated an interest in seeing the batting cages portion of the Mini Indy amusement complex return to the park. Like a golf driving range is to golfers, the batting cages were an enjoyable compliment to baseball and softball players, and the former location was a unique opportunity within the region to practice batting. This motion requests staff to explore the technical and business potential of reintroducing an element such as an amusement type batting cage to the baseball hub within the park.

Councillor Dianne Saxe recommends that:

1. City Council request the Province of Ontario to amend subsection 8 of O.Reg. 595/06 under the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and section 9 of Regulation 584/06 under the Municipal Act, 2001, to permit municipalities to charge fair fees to for-profit gas utilities for their use of public property, as municipalities do in most other provinces.

2. City Council request Mayor Chow to circulate this motion to other Ontario Big City Mayors and ask them to endorse the same request.

Toronto, like other major municipalities across Ontario, is in desperate need of a new fiscal framework and additional revenue tools to meet the many responsibilities that have been downloaded by the provincial government.

Subsection 8 of O.Reg. 595/06 under the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and section 9 of Regulation 584/06 under the Municipal Act, 2001 provides an unjustified subsidy to for-profit gas utilities by forcing municipalities to allow them free use of public property, without compensation even for the damage their utility cuts cause to city pavement. This is a large fossil-fuel subsidy that is contrary to the public interest, in light of our climate crisis, in light of the financial crisis facing Ontario municipalities, and in light of the increasing demands on public space. Municipalities should be free to charge fair fees to for-profit fossil fuel utilities for their use of public property, and for the entire damage that utility cuts cause to public infrastructure. Toronto taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize multi-billion dollar private companies.

Municipalities in other provinces are permitted to charge such fees and receive millions of much-needed dollars as a result.

Deputy Mayor McKelvie recommends that:

1. City Council request that the City Manager consult with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on May 28, 2024, on the feasibility of amending Ontario Regulation 596/06 the City of Toronto Act (Local Improvement Charges – Priority Lien Status) and making any other legislative or regulatory amendments as may be required, in order to allow for the installation of a City-owned sanitary sewer on Ridgewood Road as a local improvement, and allow the City to impose local improvement charges in one of the following manners:

a. The City constructs and initially funds the local improvement, and property owners currently serviced by their own septic system be required to connect to the sanitary sewer and pay their portion of the local improvement charge when the property changes owners;

b. The City constructs and initially funds the local improvement, and property owners currently serviced by their own septic system be required to connect to the sanitary sewer and pay their portion of the local improvement charge when their septic system is at the end of its life and / or is to be replaced; or

c. Any other flexible alternatives that would permit the City to construct the sanitary sewer and recover the cost from property owners over time not commencing immediately upon completion of the work.

Approximately 60 properties on Ridgewood Road in Scarborough-Rouge Park are serviced by septic tanks where a municipal sanitary sewer does not exist. Residents expressed interest in connecting to a sanitary sewer and Council authorized staff to undertake a preliminary engineering design in 2022.

At the time, the total cost of the project, including Harmonized Sales Tax was approximately $4.9 million; however, costs have likely increased since that time due to inflationary pressures. Payment for the project would be billed to Ridgewood residents through a local improvement charge that is calculated based on property frontage (frontages range from approximately 50 feet to 135 feet for the impacted residents).

The current system of funding infrastructure through local improvement charges is not widely used throughout the City and is out of date. If a majority of the residents are in favour of the project, all residents will be required to pay whether or not they are able to afford it. My motion requests that the City Manager work with the province to explore potential options for flexibility in advancing the installation of this needed infrastructure, in a way that does not cause a significant financial burden for residents.

It is necessary to move this project forward now, as Transportation Services is planning sidewalk construction and road reconstruction on Ridgewood Road, from Lawrence Avenue East to East Avenue, in the near future and the intention is to coordinate sanitary sewer installation with this work, to minimize costs and disruption to the neighbourhood.

Councillor Mike Colle recommends that:

1. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to explore the feasibility of an off-leash dog track, or a dog off leash area along the York Beltline Trail west of William R. Allen Road, as part of the Council approved report for IE6.8 - Citywide Approach to Dogs Off-Leash Areas by the third quarter of 2024.

Due to the lack of Dogs Off-Leash Areas (DOLA) in the local vicinity, I would like to propose the inclusion of an off-leash dog track, or dog off-leash area along the York Beltline Trail.

I have heard from many residents, both dog walkers and other York Beltline users that this is an area with a great need for a dedicated and fenced off area for dogs. With the ongoing expansion of the Dogs Off-Leash Areas program, and the ever-increasing number of Torontonians who are acquiring dogs, the York Beltline is in need of this type of park infrastructure to safely accommodate the off-leash dog use already occurring there and to reduce the potential for user conflicts that could result in disputes or dog bites.