The Toronto Transit Commission is holding off starting work on a controversial light rail vehicle (LRV) maintenance facility at Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard to let the new city council take a second look for a better location.
The commission decided to defer a contract to remove contaminated soil from the site on the south-east corner of Lake Shore Boulevard and Leslie Street. Earlier this year, Toronto council voted to approve building the facility there, to house and repair some of the 204 new light rail streetcars the TTC has ordered to replace the aging fleet of cars.
The $345-million facility will see most of those cars going in and out along Leslie Street in the middle of the night and the early morning hours - and the community surrounding that site was vocal in urging council to find another location.
But the TTC maintained the Leslie Street site, attached to the Asbhridges Bay Sewage Treatment plant, was the best site available and the route down Leslie Street was the only viable way to move LRVs between Queen Street and Lake Shore.
The newly constituted transit commission was willing to take another look at the plan; however, after hearing from the community.
Local resident Caron Court said it made sense to hold off on starting any work until Toronto council had a chance to revisit the matter.
"This vote is giving your de facto approval to proceed with a streetcar facility and confirm a $1.2 billion contract to purchase streetcars," she said. "That is $1.2 billion in city money that could be put toward subways."
Beaches-East York Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon asked the commission for a one-month deferral and the commission responded with two months - until the February meeting.
Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher, who represents Leslie Street north of the facility, said it made sense to take a second look and that the provincial government had given the city notice that at least some portions of the plan should be reaffirmed by the new council.
"I think that many people in my community support the accessibilities of the streetcars but we have issues related to the siting of the yard," she said.
TTC Chair Karen Stintz supported the plan.
"Council in its final meeting this summer wrestled with aspects of this yard, and we did come to a decision as a council," she said. "But a new council has been elected and local concerns remain. We can certainly take some time to review the options, to review what's before us, to work with the local councillor, to work with the community and see if there are amendments to be made."