The Project
The City of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission have completed an Environmental Project Report in accordance with Ontario Regulation 231/08 for the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project.

The thirty-three kilometre LRT line will provide modern, accessible and comfortable LRT service along Eglinton Avenue from the Kennedy Subway Station in the east to Pearson International Airport in the west.

The LRT will operate underground from a portal 800 metres east of Laird Drive to a portal 350 metres west of Keele Street, as the width of Eglinton Avenue in this area is too narrow to accommodate street level LRT. The LRT will cross Highway 401 via a new LRT-only bridge, located 350 metres west of the existing

Renforth Drive bridge. For the remainder of the route, the LRT will operate in reserved transit lanes in the centre of the street. A connection to the Kennedy Subway Station and a route into the Pearson International Airport will be the subject of separate studies.

The Process
The environmental impact of this transit project was assessed and an Environmental Project Report prepared according to the transit project assessment process prescribed in Ontario Regulation 231/08, Transit Projects and Greater Toronto Transportation Authority Undertakings.

The Environmental Project Report for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will be made available for a 30-day review period beginning March 12, 2010 on the project website: http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/eglinton_crosstown_lrt/index.htm

Some Toronto homeowners have two water pipes running from their home to the street. One is a sanitary sewage pipe that carries contaminated water from toilets, washing machines, sinks and bathtubs to a treatment plant. The other is a stormwater pipe that directs rainwater, melted snow and discharges into local rivers, streams or Lake Ontario.

When a sanitary plumbing fixture is mistakenly connected to a storm drain, waste is sent directly into local waterways. An incorrect connection to a storm drain creates a cross connection which is responsible for polluting our rivers and lakes with raw sewage. more »

Remarks made by Toronto Mayor David Miller on March 10, 2010 at 9:30am

Thank you very much for attending today for this announcement. I will be announcing today important plans for 2010 and 2011.

Building a great City takes commitment, partnership and sacrifice – from all of us.

It continues to be my privilege to bear witness to the great things that are achieved when all of these attributes come together.

As Mayor, I see the traits of commitment, partnership and sacrifice coming together everyday as collectively we work to build an even greater Toronto.

When I introduced the City budget in February, I said that you can’t have a great city for free. In fact, I said and I quote: “This is important.” more »

Some facts about City Divisions that may surprise you

The City of Toronto provides a huge number of services to improve the lives of local residents. Keep reading to learn some facts that may surprise you!

1) TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

• Maintains over 5600 km of roads, 8000km of sidewalks, 600 bridges, 600 pedestrian crosswalks, 2159 traffic signals, 1000000 road and traffic signs, 112 km of bike lanes, 168 km of bike trails, 139 km of bike routes and over 25000 pieces of street furniture.
• 600 snow plows, 300 sidewalk plows and 200 salt trucks to deal with winter storms. more »

Highlights from the Toronto City Council meeting of February 22 and 23, 2010.

Security during June’s G20 Summit in Toronto
Council authorized the City to enter into funding agreements with the federal or Ontario governments for the reimbursement of any costs the City incurs when the Group of 20 (G20) Summit is held in downtown Toronto on June 26 and 27. Among other steps, Council decided to ask the federal government to post a bond to cover expenses for potential property damage that could occur during June’s G20 Summit. London and Pittsburgh faced such costs as a result of protests during the world economic summits those two cities hosted in 2009. Council also asked the federal government to post a bond to cover any costs incurred by local businesses. more »

The Social Housing Renovation and Retrofit Program (SHHRP) provides $220 million in federal and provincial funding over two years for repairs and energy retrofits to existing social housing units in Toronto. This funding represents a significant investment in social housing and provides the City a tremendous opportunity to improve the living conditions of some of its most vulnerable members.

Several properties in Ward 35 are eligible for SHHRP funds. In total, these properties will receive over $8.7 million dollars and improve conditions in 1,849 housing units.

The properties are… more »

With a sizeable snowfall expected over the next few days, the City of Toronto is reminding residents and businesses about the levels of snow clearing the City provides.

Large snowfalls require a coordinated approach by the City’s staff and contractors to ensure that City streets and sidewalks are safe.

As soon as the snow begins, Transportation Services sends out its fleet of salt trucks to the expressways and the main roads. After this, the salt trucks will then move on to the local roads. If the City receives five centimetres of snow, the plows are sent to the expressways and main roads and plowing will take place for the duration of the storm. more »

Neighbourhood Link Support Services, located at 3036 Danforth Avenue, is offering a free income tax clinic between February 22 and April 12, 2010 (some eligibility criteria applied).

For more information, please contact Tsvetelina Trifonova at (416) 691-7407, ext. 104; or email Taxclinic@neighbourhoodlink.org.

Last week’s article in the Toronto Star takes a misleading and simplistic one-sided look at the City’s sale of street lights to Toronto Hydro back in 2005.

Here are the facts:

The Toronto Hydro Corporation (THC) is wholly owned by the City of Toronto.

Therefore, any profits made by THC are ultimately a value to the City, either in dividends or an increase in the value of the company. Selling the street light asset to a corporation owned by the residents of Toronto means the money the City pays to the corporation benefits the residents of the city. more »

The City of Toronto today introduced a balanced 2010 operating budget that protects City programs and the delivery of 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week services that are the role of City government. more »