Big Housing Projects and the Benefits of Rapid Transit

In the last four decades, major infrastructure projects in Toronto and the GTA have been few and far between. We have fallen behind. The last two major subway lines that were built benefited low density inner suburbs in North York and Vaughan.While these areas are undergoing building booms and seeing density rise, the lack of a completed downtown relief line is overwhelming Toronto’s subway system. Nonetheless, the Eglinton Crosstown is a project nearing completion that is looked upon more favourably by transit and infrastructure experts. 

The Crosstown will provide top notch transit service to the city’s dense and heavily populated midtown area. One major benefit of this massive project is the development and rejuvenation of housing where it is needed most. One such project has received favourable attention; the Crosstown planned community by Aspen Ridge on the corner of Eglinton and Don Mills Rd., just north of the Ontario Science Centre. Right on the Crosstown subway line, this housing project will feature almost a dozen high-rises, townhomes, and low rise buildings. It will also feature considerable green space, restaurants, and rec facilities. This kind of broad, dense, and all-in-one is made possible by the construction of major public transit projects.

With recent transit announcements showcasing the desire to pour tens of billions of added dollars into public transit lines in Toronto, projects like the Crosstown community will become more frequent. The 60 acres of the Crosstown community previously consisted of low rise office and warehouse buildings, largely owned by the international tech company Celestica. 

The First Conservative Ontario Budget in 15 years

This week, the new Ford PC government released its first budget. The document outlines a new vision for the province and sets of the government’s fiscal strategy for the next few years. Contrary to the views of many, the budget did not implement massive cuts. Healthcare and education spending will be increasingly modestly, spending for most other areas will either rise extremely modestly and will be effectively frozen over the next few years. When adjusted for inflation, most departments and Ministries will see their budgets cut.

 

The province’s headline announcement is transit related. Premier Ford wants to see a number of new public transit lines built, including a 3-stop Scarborough subway, a subway to Richmond Hill, a downtown relief line from the Science Centre to Queen St .East westward to Ontario Place, a transit line along Sheppard Ave. East, and a subway across central Etobicoke. The province is setting aside over $11 billion to the construction of these lines and expects the federal government and the regional municipalities involved to foot the rest of the project $28 billion cost of these projects. If completed, these lines will have enormous implications for densification, land values, traffic, and economic growth. But massive public transit plans have been announced by provincial governments of all political stripes repeatedly over the last 40 years, and few projects have actually been completed.

There were few mentions of housing, housing affordability, or real estate; these announcements are likely to come later given recent reviews of the industry. There will be a new child tax credit for parents which is quite substantive. Overall, the budget is transit focused and seeks to maintain spending at levels where they are presently.