Olivia Chow's motion to expedite RapidTO bus route proposals passed Toronto City Council

Mayor Olivia Chow at City Council on Tuesday hoped to put a “fast track” on RapidTO with a new move aimed at building more bus lanes across the city and speeding up the process.

The proposal, approved by the council by a 23-3 vote, asks the director of transportation to begin a road study, public consultation and design of four different routes proposed for surface transit priority.

The RapidTO Plan, also known as the Surface Transit Network Plan, begins in 2019 and is the city's program to lead the research, evaluation and delivery of bus and streetcar improvement projects in Toronto.

The routes are Finch Avenue East between Victoria Park Avenue and McCowan Road, Dufferin Street between Wilson Station and Dufferin Gate, Lawrence Avenue East between Victoria Park Avenue and Morningside Avenue and Steeles Avenue West between Pioneer Village Station and Bathurst Street.

The proposal also recommends that the research results and recommendations be submitted to the appropriate committee and city council for approval. It is unclear when the study will begin.

“I think four or five years is long enough to wait. There were many tips. It's not just painting the road. It's about turning right or left. So, there are things that need to be worked out with the neighbors, so I see that, I understand. It is important that my requests are channeled through employee support,” Chow said before Tuesday's meeting.

“So let's get on with it.”

The first priority bus routes were implemented in 2020 along a section of East Eglinton Avenue. According to the city's own data, commute times were reduced by five minutes in the afternoon, and reliability increased by 10 percent.

“We are investing in many enhanced services. Increasing services means nothing if the bus is stuck in traffic jams … it doesn't work,” Chow said.

There are also three projects where road specific studies have started, including Jane Street, Steeles Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue.

Work on the potential Jane Street busway has been at its fastest pace to date, with a report to be presented to the Executive Committee in Q2 of this year seeking council approval for the proposed project to go ahead.

Some city councilors were unsure of how the bus lanes would affect congestion across the city.

“Toronto is one of the most congested cities on the entire continent and I'm not sure RapidTO will alleviate congestion in all cases. I think it could make it worse in some cases,” said Brad Bradford, councilor for Beaches-East York, before the vote.

Bradford voted in favor of the proposal, unlike Etobicoke Center councilor Stephen Holliday, who said prioritizing bus lanes could have a major impact on congestion, meaning the war on traffic is “alive and well in Toronto.”

“They're looking at a five percent time savings and a 10 percent increase in reliability,” Holliday said.

“I have to wonder how much benefit these lanes will bring compared to the huge cost and huge pressure on the cars and drivers stuck in one lane.”

Meanwhile, Councilor Jamaal Myers, who represents Scarborough Southwest, said the TTC will receive $1.2 billion in the proposed budget this year, and it doesn't make sense to spend that money on buses stuck in traffic.

“Everyone understands that, including my colleagues on the council – and it's time we got on with it.”

Meyers hopes the Jane Street busway will help the 40,000 people who use the route every day and be up and running by the end of the year.

“This car war nonsense is out of date. This is actually something you hear a lot in tips from years past. I think this advice is a bit forward thinking. We understand that this is a different city, and we're committed to addressing the challenges of the city, not just delaying it.”

About 70 percent of all Toronto Transit Commission trips involve a surface transit trip, according to city data.

TTCRiders, the TTC's advocacy group, celebrated the city council's move.

“Hundreds of thousands of riders rely on bus and streetcar routes every day to get to work, school and home on time,” said TTCriders Executive Director Shelagh Pisay-Allen. “Transit users have been promised surface priority lanes for years. The city council's decision to accelerate this plan is welcome news.”