Dundas BRT

In September 2020, Metrolinx completed and published an Initial Business Case (IBC) to assess the need for the Dundas BRT. The document provides an evidence-based assessment of the case for investment in the new rapid transit corridor. The IBC provides the information necessary for decision-makers, stakeholders and the public as an important part of the transparent and evidenced-based decision-making process.

This document includes:

• A confirmation of the problem and/ or opportunity and identifies a set of investments that could address them
• Provides a high-level range of varying investments that could be implemented
• Gives insights and recommendations for future work

The IBC evaluated the early-stage feasibility of the Dundas BRT by examining the strategic, economic, financial and deliverability and operations cases. The IBC found that the BRT could:

• Accommodate more than 30,000 new net daily riders
• Benefit traffic flow resulting in between 345,000 and 555,000 hours of decongestion benefits per year
• Decrease greenhouse gas emissions by between 100,000 to 600,000 tonnes per year
• Unlock economic and regional development by connecting rapid transit to 230,000 to 465,000 jobs found within 2 kilometres of the catchment area (approximately a 10-minute walk)
• Offer frequent rapid transit service to 600,000 to 1,000,000 people living within 2 kilometres of the corridor
• Reduce transit commute times along the corridor by approximately 14 minutes on average

Metrolinx is working with various municipalities to advance planning and design of the Dundas BRT Project, which includes the following key phases:

• TPAP
• Preliminary Design (PD)
• PDBC

The project area includes the proposed alignment for the project and additional areas for potential refinements as design progresses. Once established, the environmental disciplines applied buffers to account for applicable legislated requirements, resulting in the individual study areas for each of the environmental studies.

Study Method

The purpose of the environmental studies are to:

• Establish existing (baseline) conditions;
• Identify and characterize existing features;
• Complete impact assessments; and
• Develop measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate potential negative effects.

Methods undertaken to complete these studies include the following:

• Examine designated natural areas and planning policy areas.
• Vegetation community and plant inventories.
• Fish and fish habitat surveys.
• Wildlife and wildlife habitat surveys.
• Significant wildlife habitat and species at risk screening.
• Identify potential adverse effects and appropriate mitigation measures.

Existing environmental conditions

Toronto

• The only natural vegetation community within the study area was identified along the forested banks of Etobicoke Creek. The forested ravines of Etobicoke Creek likely act as important wildlife corridors, allowing for the movement of wildlife between areas to seek food, shelter and mates within the City of Toronto’s Natural Heritage System.
• No vegetation communities were identified as, or anticipated to be, provincially significant.
• The fish community that inhabits Etobicoke Creek is primarily cool-warm water species that are tolerant of disturbances.
• The majority of the wildlife are common in the City of Toronto and are tolerant to disturbances, while a small proportion is comprised of sensitive or rare species.

Mississauga East

• The study area includes a variety of urban, residential and industrial areas which are divided by several natural features including watercourses, riparian areas and vegetated corridors.  
• Several watercourses cross the study area and provide habitat to a variety of fish species including Sawmill Creek, Glen Erin Brook (coolwater systems) and Etobicoke Creek, Little Etobicoke Creek and Cooksville Creek (warmwater systems).  
• A wide variety of migratory birds nest within the study area and Cliff Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebe and American Robin were identified under the Etobicoke Creek bridge.  
• Species at Risk are known to occur within the study area including: Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift and Snapping Turtle.  
• Local wildlife corridors exist in several areas, primarily associated with watercourse, riparian areas and valley lands for small, medium and large mammals as well as turtles.  

Mississauga West

• The study area includes a variety of urban, residential and industrial areas which are divided by several natural features including watercourses, riparian areas and vegetated corridors.
• Crossing the study area, Mary Fix Creek and the Credit River provide habitat to a variety of fish species, with the Credit River also providing migratory corridors for populations of salmon and trout.
• Several natural heritage features are found within the study area, including the Credit River at Erindale Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) and Erindale Park near the Credit River.
• A wide variety of migratory birds nest within the study area.
• Species at Risk are known to occur within the study area, including Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift and Snapping Turtle.
• Local wildlife corridors exist in several areas primarily associated with watercourse, riparian areas and valley lands for small, medium and large mammals as well as turtles. Several other wooded areas within the study area also provide corridors for bats, including the Big Brown Bat.

Study Method

The purpose of the environmental studies are to:

• Establish existing (baseline) conditions;
• Identify and characterize existing features;
• Complete impact assessments; and

Develop measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate potential negative effects.

Methods undertaken to complete these studies include the following:

• Review all transportation infrastructure and services in the study area, including roadways, intersections, highway interchanges, transit routes, cycling lanes, sidewalks and multi-use paths.
• Assess available traffic, cyclist and pedestrian count data.
• Simulation modelling of the corridor to assess intersection operating conditions and auto and transit bus travel times.
• Identify traffic bottlenecks, poor intersection performance, transit delay points and other impacts to transportation and traffic operations.
• Testing, modelling and recommendation of mitigation measures to improve performance.

Existing Environmental Conditions

Toronto

• Within Toronto, Dundas Street has a six-lane cross-section with a centre two-way left-turn lane providing access to many side streets and private driveways. The curbside traffic lane is designated as a high occupancy vehicle lane in both directions, permitting only transit vehicles, taxis and personal vehicles with occupancy of three persons or more for designated time periods.
• Sidewalks are provided on either side of Dundas Street, with no dedicated cycling facilities provided.
• Generally heavier volumes during the afternoon peak hours as compared to those in the morning peak hours. The largest directional traffic volumes along Dundas Street are 1,900 vehicles in the morning peak hour and 2,100 vehicles in the afternoon peak hour.
• All intersections with major arterial roads operate at acceptable levels of service in both the morning and afternoon peak hours.
• In both the morning and afternoon peak hours, the most congestion occurs at intersections near the Highway 427 interchange and near Kipling Transit Hub due to high volumes of local buses accessing the terminal.

Mississauga East

• Within the Mississauga East corridor, Dundas Street varies between six- and four-lane cross-sections, and in many locations a centre two-way left-turn lane is present. A curbside high occupancy vehicle traffic lane is provided between Dixie Road and Etobicoke Creek.
• Continuous sidewalks are provided on both sides of Dundas Street within Mississauga East, with no dedicated cycling facilities provided.
• Generally heavier volumes during the afternoon peak hours as compared to those in the morning peak hours. The largest directional traffic volumes along Dundas Street are 1,800 vehicles in the morning peak hour and 2,200 vehicles in the afternoon peak hour.
• Most intersections operate at acceptable levels of service in both the morning and afternoon peak hours. However, in both the morning and afternoon peak hours, congestion occurs in Cooksville near the Hurontario Street intersection. Other intersections with major arterial roadways, like at Dixie Road, operate with poor levels of service in the peak hours.

Mississauga West

• Within the Mississauga West corridor, Dundas Street varies between six- and four-lane cross-sections, and in many locations a centre two-way left-turn lane is present.
• Continuous sidewalks are provided on both sides of Dundas Street within Mississauga West, with no dedicated cycling facilities provided.
• The largest directional traffic volumes along Dundas Street are 3,000 vehicles in the morning peak hour and 2,100 vehicles in the afternoon peak hour.
• Most intersections operate at acceptable levels of service in both the morning and afternoon peak hours.
• In both the morning and afternoon peak hours, the most congestion occurs west of Winston Churchill Boulevard. Other intersections with major arterial roadways (Mavis Road, Winston Churchill Boulevard, and Erin Mills Parkway) operate with poor levels of service in the peak hours.

Study Method

The purpose of the environmental studies are to:

• Establish existing (baseline) conditions;
• Identify and characterize existing features;
• Complete impact assessments; and
• Develop measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate potential negative effects.

Methods undertaken to complete these studies include:

• Examining vehicle exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The assessment was based on publicly available historical data from ambient air quality monitoring stations close to the study area.
• Five-years of data, averaged to capture existing air quality data from monitoring stations. Emissions captured included: vehicular emissions, diesel rail emissions, and industrial emissions.

o Vehicular emissions;

o Diesel rail emissions; and

o Industrial emissions.

• Identifying potential adverse impacts, determine the need for mitigation and provide a strategy or list of potential mitigation measures based on construction and operation plans.

Existing Environmental Conditions

Toronto

• Background air quality levels are predominately below respective provincial and federal ambient air quality criteria and standards; however, some levels show significant exceedances, including:

o Benzo(a)pyrene;

o Benzene; and

o Nitrogen dioxide.

• Contaminants showing higher levels of background concentration above 80% of the federal standards include nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
• Meteorological data from the Toronto Pearson Airport over a five-year period (2016 – 2020) shows predominant wind direction blowing from northwest, west and southwest, and low-speed wind predominance from the southeast.

Mississauga East

• Background air quality levels are predominately below respective provincial and federal ambient air quality criteria and standards; however, some levels show existing exceedances, including:

o Benzo(a)pyrene;

o Benzene; and

o Nitrogen dioxide.

• Contaminants showing higher levels of background concentration above 80% of the federal standards include nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
• Meteorological data from the Toronto Pearson Airport over a five-year period (2016 – 2020) shows predominant wind direction blowing from northwest, west and southwest, and low-speed wind predominance from the southeast.

Mississauga West

• Background air quality levels are predominantly below respective provincial and federal ambient air quality criteria and standards; however, some contaminants show exceedances, including:

o Benzo(a)pyrene;

o Benzene; and

o Nitrogen dioxide.

• Contaminants showing higher levels of background concentration above 80% of the federal standards includes particulate matter (PM2.5).
• Meteorological data from the Toronto Pearson Airport over a five year period (2016 – 2020) shows predominant wind direction blowing from northwest, west and southwest, and low-speed wind predominance from the southeast.

How are SPA studies different from the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP)?

As the TPAP assesses the impacts and determines the proposed mitigation measures of the structure replacements proposed at Etobicoke Creek and Little Etobicoke Creek crossings, the SPA studies capture the proposed works for the watercourse channels and elsewhere within the floodplain.

What’s happening now?

Coordination with the following City of Mississauga SPA studies has progressed to ensure that the Etobicoke Creek and Little Etobicoke Creek crossings are coordinated to meet the goals and objectives of both the Dundas Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and SPA studies:

• Dixie-Dundas Flood Mitigation EA Study (Little Etobicoke Creek SPA)

o A short-list of conceptual culvert replacement options was developed.

o Preliminary design was developed spring 2022.

• Etobicoke Creek SPA Feasibility Study

o Hydraulic Analysis completed.

o Confirmation that existing structure has sufficient hydraulic capacity.

Dundas Street will be widened in certain areas to accommodate the proposed BRT lanes and facilities, including four general purpose traffic lanes, cycling facilities, wider sidewalks, and amenity space for utility poles, trees and street furniture.