Toronto Pearson commits additional $40 million in support of Eglinton Crosstown connection to airport

New whitepaper also released, documenting potential importance of Union Station West for
multiple regional stakeholders

TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) announced its intention to partner with Metrolinx to advance the technical work necessary to extend the Eglinton Crosstown West from Renforth to the airport. This $40 million commitment represents another tangible step forward to bring important transit connections to Canada's mega hub airport and build a regional transit network, anchored by a new regional transit centre (RTC) at Pearson – dubbed Union Station West.

This commitment follows the Ontario-Toronto transit agreement and Premier Ford's announcement of four priority transit projects, including the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension.

The GTAA will pursue these additional works for the Renforth – Pearson portion of the line in partnership with Metrolinx, which will build on the GTAA-Metrolinx joint work program announced in April 2018. The GTAA is already investing $38 million in work currently underway, and this additional announcement will bring the total investment to a potential $78 million. The current GTAA-Metrolinx joint program continues work to improve rapid transit access to Pearson Airport. This includes exploring potential 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.

Also released today is a summary of discussions with stakeholders across the region regarding the importance of connectivity for regional airports, economic zones, and the last-mile within the Airport Employment Zone, and how Union Station West can support these connections. This whitepaper documents the value that the future Union Station West could bring to multiple communities across the region. The full report is available at torontopearson.com/transit.

Important findings include:

• Municipal borders are meaningless to transit riders – workers, students, residents – who experience multiple unintegrated fares and uncoordinated transfers.
• The region's current "radial" transit system no longer supports connection between the Greater Golden Horseshoe's economic and employment centres.
• The goods movement sector is straining under intense road congestion, leading to increased consumer prices, lower profits and reduced productivity.
• Efficient connections to Pearson are critical for all regional economic zones.
• Coordinated ground connections to, from and between Southern Ontario airports would provide convenience and choice for travelers.
• The 300,000+ employees in the AEZ need safe, efficient first- and last- mile solutions that reflect the 24/7 nature of the country's 2^nd largest 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.  "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."

"As part of our Plan to Build Ontario Together, our government is making the single largest capital investment in new subway builds in Canadian history," said Ontario Premier Doug Ford. "We welcome the GTAA's multi-million-dollar investment to help connect the Eglinton Crosstown West Subway Extension to Toronto Pearson Airport. Today's announcement is another clear example of how our government is strengthening partnerships to build more transit, faster—spurring economic growth and creating jobs throughout the region."

About the Greater Toronto Airports Authority
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is the operator of Toronto Pearson International Airport. The GTAA's vision is to make Toronto Pearson the best airport in the world. Towards this objective, the GTAA focuses on ensuring the safety and security of passengers and airport employees, enhancing the passenger experience and supporting the success of its airline partners. Toronto Pearson served more than 49 million passengers in 2018, making it Canada's largest airport and the second-busiest North American international airport.

The area around Toronto Pearson is the second-largest employment zone in Canada. The airport facilitates 6.3% per cent of Ontario's GDP, directly employs 49,000 people and facilitates more than 300,000 jobs throughout the province of Ontario. Toronto Pearson believes that being a good neighbour means growing together with the communities it serves. To this end, the airport invests in social good and community-building initiatives through its community investment program, The Propeller Project.

For more information, please visit Toronto Pearson on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

SOURCE Greater Toronto Airports Authority