Whereas City of Markham planning strives to create complete, mixed-use, high-density, Rail Integrated Communities (RICs) at its rail stations as part of its development objectives to create a competitive and balanced economy, high quality of life, walkable communities, reduced commuter times, reduced gridlock, and reduced carbon footprint; and,
Whereas Rail Integrated Communities (RICs) are key to changing development patterns by creating mixed-us high-rise communities at GO Transit, subway and 407 Transitway stations; and,
Whereas Rail Integrated Communities (RICs) present the opportunity to incorporate 20 per cent affordable housing into these areas by re-purposing the 407 hydro corridor transmission lands and GO Transit station parking lots; and,
Whereas Rail Integrated Communities (RICs) allow the development of autonomous vehicle First Mile/Last Mile strategy at transit stations; and,
Whereas the Province of Ontario has indicated that future GO Transit, subway, and 407 Transitway development will be based on re-purposing the lands to their highest and best use in partnership with the private sector development industry, investors, and pension funds; and,
Whereas Vancouver's Canada Line currently has 150,000 boardings per day with two-car driverless electric trainsets, 40-50m station platforms, and a frequency of 18 trains per hour; and,
Whereas the Richmond Hill GO line has 10,500 boardings per day with 10 car double-decker trainsets; and,
Whereas the Stouffville and Barrie GO lines have 18,000 boardings per day with 12-car double-decker trainsets with 300m station platforms; and further,
Whereas the GO rail transit network is an underperforming government asset, as almost all of the GO stations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are predominantly parking lots filled with cars that significantly contributed to the 11 billion dollars of lost economic productivity by gridlock, and the GO Transit network does not have enough stations surrounded by office, retail, and residential development nor enough frequency of rail transit service, and each GO Transit corridor should be planned to achieve ridership of 200,000 boardings per day for the Stouffville, Richmond Hill, and Barrie lines;
Therefore, be it resolved:
- That current and future stations in the three GO rail transit corridors in York Region be strategically planned as complete Rail Integrated Communities (RICs) (i.e., as scalable, attractive rail integrated communities throughout York Region that could include district energy, central garbage collection systems, utility corridors, Internet of Things, and urban vertical farming which could create communities that reduce the cost of living by 20-30 per cent); and,
- That the Government of Ontario and Metrolinx be requested to support the re-purposing of the GO Transit lines throughout York Region, transitioning them to more subway-style services with shorter electric trainsets, shorter station platforms, more rail stations with a frequency of 3-5 minutes service in peak times and 6-12 minute service in non-peak times; and,
- That Metrolinx be requested to complete upgrades to the GO rail network, allowing all Rail Integrated Communities (RICs) to have similar functionality, scalability, and be spatially planned; and,
- That all station areas included in the attached rail transit station map be included in York Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review; and,
- That financing for these stations be from development charges, up-zoning, re-purposing land, condo transit fee uplift, investors, pension fund investments, and Tax Increment Financing (TIF); and,
- That the Province of Ontario be requested to support the development of scalable, Rail Integrated Communities (RICs) throughout York Region; and,
- That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the councils of the City of Richmond Hill and City of Vaughan for their endorsement and partnership in achieving these objectives; and further,
- That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; the Honourable Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health; the Honourable Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance; the Honourable Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education; the Honourable Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation & Francophone Affairs; the Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; the Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs; the Honourable Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services; the Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; the Honourable Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure Ontario; all Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Parliament in the Regional Municipality of York; and the Council of the Regional Municipality of York.