TTC Sheppard East LRT Construction Phases

Major transit upgrades at the Toronto Transit Commission have been rare in the last 20 years, but this is changing. First in the pipe is the Sheppard East Light Rapid Transit line, in Scarborough. At approximately $1.43B CAD it will run 15km east from Don Mills Station to Morningside Ave. The line is scheduled for completion in Fall 2013, ready for the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. The project manager in me is trying to keep track of which parts of Sheppard Avenue will be chewed up when and for how long. The short term pain for residents and business owners will be severe. I hope they add bicycle lanes while they are planning.

As with all large construction projects, schedules are a moving target, as are project additions such as a line from Meadowvale to the Zoo and a rail yard near Sheppard/Nielson. Here’s a list of possible LRT stops.

This is as current information as I can find. When more info is published I will update. I would think that others are eager to learn about this schedule, but I had to search on Google for a couple of hours before I found credible information.

Sheppard Ave East is the busiest street in Scarborough, dominated by the automobile. Sheppard is the epitome of urban sprawl. I hope that the new LRT line will usher in a time where public transit, bicyclists and pedestrians are also welcome and safe while using Sheppard. Pack more living into less space. Allow locals to feel safe when they ride their bicycles to nearby destinations. Cycling on Sheppard today is scary dangerous. No doubt that today the car is king on Sheppard, and they know it and show it. The LRT should change this.

City of Toronto, Jan 2010

LRT Construction Schedule
Plans for LRT construction are currently being developed. As soon as details are confirmed the website will be updated.

From powerpoint presentation:
2009-2011: Birchmount to Progress (E of Markham)
2011: Morningside – Meadowvale
2011-2013: Don Mills to Yorkland
2012: Yorkland – Birchmount
2012: Progress (E of Markham) – Morningside

Roads going eastbound: Don Mills, Yorkland, Victoria Park, Pharamacy, Warden, Birchmount, Kennedy, Midland, Brimley, McCowan, Markham, Nielson, Morningside, Meadowvale. Since Progress starts at Kennedy and goes to Markham, parallel to Sheppard and south of the 401, then turns north to Sheppard, I am unsure what this means for the schedule. I will assume Progress, east of Markham road, whenre it intersects Sheppard.

TTC Sheppard East LRT conceptual view, looking west on Sheppard just east of Victoria Park. Currently Johnny's is on the south east corner, Coffee Time is on the north east corner, and the Food Basics mall is on the north west corner. Believe it or not.

Agincourt Go Grade Separation, east of Kennedy, looking east. Sheppard will be rebuilt under the north-south Go train tracks. Currently there is a condo on the south-west, small commercial buildings on the north-west and south-east.

Current view of the Agincourt Go Grade Separation, east of Kennedy, looking east.

David Fisher, updated Dec 25, 2009

Phase I As I see it at this time is building a new grade separation for GO Stouffville line that service Sheppard Ave at the Agincourt station.

Phase II Will start at Meadowvale Rd as that where TTC plans to start the building process in the first place.

Phase III This is to cover the extension to the Toronto Zoo that is north of Sheppard Ave off Meadowvale Rd. There is to be an EA for this extension as well one to connect to Scarborough Town Centre to the south.

Phase IV This is to cover the building of a new Carhouse yard for this line, but not sure of the location at this time since TTC has not made that location known.

Phase V This is protection for the Scarborough-Malvern Line that could see the top haft built from Sheppard Ave south to the on that will house the oylimyia Pool for the PAN AM Games in 2015 since this line has be deferred to 2020 at this time. With Toronto getting the PAM AM games in 2015, there is a chance the whole S-M line running from Kennedy Station for the Bloor-Danforth Line could see construction for it and this phase will not be require..

Backgrounder: Governments of Canada and Ontario invest in Sheppard East Light Rail line, May 15 2009

Phase 1 (McCowan to Neilson Road) begins in July 2009

Forum, Oct 2008

A) Proposed grade separation of Sheppard Avenue East and GO Transit tracks east of Kennedy Road

B) A 2.2 Kilometre section of track and roadway located between McCowan and Neilson Roads.

Preliminary engineering on the next phase of project (Birchmount to McCowan) is expected to begin in April of 2009.

The most-significant issue currently facing the project is the determination of the recommended design for the LRT connection at Don Mills subway station.

Related: TTC Revised Metrolinx Plan: Note that in March 2010 the budget for the Metrolinx plan has been drastically cut, from $9.2B to $5.2B. On top of this the fiscal estimate for construction has increased from $9.2B to $10.5B. Barring further increases, which are likely, Metrolinx is now half funded. Thankfully the Sheppard LRT project is already underway and will continue almost intact. The Sheppard line will now stop at the carhouse between Morningside and Meadowvale.