Dundas BRT

Typically, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area welcomes about 110,00 new residents every year and is anticipated to hit a population of over 10 million people by 2041. Growth in our communities means that a reliable transportation system is needed to support the convenient and reliable movement of people as they travel from their homes for work and recreation.

A Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) is a focused environmental impact assessment process created specifically for transit projects. The process involves a pre-planning phase followed by a regulated (up to 120 days) consultation and documentation period. These phases include consultation, assessment of impacts, development of measures to mitigate negative impacts, and documentation. Consultation occurs throughout the process with the public, stakeholders and Indigenous Nations. Following these phases, there is a 30-day public review period where the public can review the Environmental Project Report (EPR) and provide additional comments. The public review period is then followed by a 35-day Minister’s review period. A TPAP makes sure that the natural, social, cultural, and economic environments are assessed and potential adverse effects from the proposed project are avoided, mitigated, or minimized where feasible. TPAPs are regulated under Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act, and are submitted for the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ review prior to proceeding with the transit project.

Three separate TPAPs will be conducted for:

• Toronto
• Mississauga East (this TPAP will be conducted first to meet federal funding requirements)
• Mississauga West

The preliminary design phase is formed from the Dundas Connects Master Plan and the Metrolinx Initial Business Case and will build upon the pre-planning completed as part of the TPAP for Toronto and Mississauga. In this phase, the project team will use the analyses of technical and environmental studies and public engagement to refine the BRT design to a 30% design level. The 30% design will seek to further refine corridor infrastructure widths such as lanes, buffers, boulevards, active transportation facilities, and grading limits to reduce the site-specific impacts identified in the TPAP. Outcomes from the preliminary design will inform the Preliminary Design Business Case (PDBC), which will be completed by the project team to allow Metrolinx to make evidence-based investment decisions.

The PDBC evaluates the Dundas BRT project across strategic, economic, financial and operational, and deliverability cases. It also sets out the costs, benefits, risks and barriers of the project, which will assist Metrolinx and its partners in developing future phases of work on the corridor. Outcomes from the Preliminary Design Business Case (PDBC) will inform the 30% Preliminary Design refinement.

Previous work studying the Dundas Corridor will be incorporated into this project. The Initial Business Case is foundational since it defines the preferred Bus Rapid Transit strategy and will guide the preliminary designs to address identified challenges (pinch points) along the route.

The Dundas Connects Master Plan, completed and endorsed by Mississauga City Council in 2018, identified the following, which will be further explored as part of the current work:

• The type of transit suitable for the corridor
• Opportunities for enhanced connectivity along the corridor
• Streetscape design and active transportation facilities
• Initial design solutions to constrained sections of the corridor

When selecting BRT stop locations, access must be balanced with travel time. Stop locations are based on factors as follows:

• Locations identified as part of the Dundas Connects Study and the Initial Business Case (IBC);
• Current transit facilities and intersecting bus routes that form the basis of a feeder network;
• Distance between stops; and
• Land use and major trip generators.

The distance between each Dundas BRT stop location will vary, depending on the city travelled through. Increased spacing between Dundas BRT stops will allow for fast and reliable service through the corridor.

When compared to diesel or compressed natural gas, electric buses:

• Offer a smoother, quieter ride
• Emit minimal or zero carbon or greenhouse gases (GHGs), helping to meet targets set out in Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) of reducing overall GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 and the City of Toronto’s goal to ensure 100% of transit vehicles transition to low-carbon energy by 2050

Electrification may look similar to Le Corbusier BRT or the Laker Line BRT shown below.

Did you know?

• MiWay recently conducted studies and participated in a hydrogen fuel cell* electric bus pilot project to understand how hydrogen-electric technology can help advance Mississauga’s commitment to a zero-emission bus fleet.
• MiWay added new bus technologies, including new, second-generation hybrid-electric articulated buses, to stay up to date with industry trends, while adjusting the long-term bus replacement plan to effectively manage the integration of new technology as older-model buses complete their lifecycle.

* Hydrogen fuel cell technology requires considerable upfront costs and increased operating costs when compared to electric technology. However, costs associated with hydrogen fuel cell technology is rapidly decreasing.