WHEREAS in 2015, Ontario’s government announced it would partner with the federal government to help to build new road-under-rail grade separations in Halton Region. Ontario’s Regional Express Rail initiative would provide faster, more frequent GO rail service, with electrification on core segments rail network;
WHEREAS two Oakville grade separation projects at Burloak Drive (in partnership with the City of Burlington) and Kerr Street were included;
WHEREAS Environmental Assessments were undertaken in 1994 for the Burloak project and 2009 for the Kerr project;
WHEREAS in December 2017, Ontario’s government announced Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx had issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to build and finance the Lakeshore West Corridor Infrastructure Improvements project which included both the Burloak and Kerr St. grade separation projects;
WHEREAS in April 2018, agreements with the public transit authority Metrolinx on the timing, scope and costs for the Burloak and Kerr Street projects were reached;
WHEREAS in October 2018, all parties of the Burloak Separation agreed on a capped cost share for a total project cost of $60 million (Oakville’s share at $15 million) and a total project cost for the Oakville share of the Kerr St. separation of $65 million;
WHEREAS on February 18, 2022 Metrolinx staff met with the Mayors of Oakville and Burlington to advise them that each municipality would now be required to provide an additional $29.25 million on top of the agreed capped cost share, for a total share of approximately $45 million each for the Burloak project;
WHEREAS at the same time Metrolinx advised Oakville costs the Kerr St. project had now ballooned to $233 million, an increase that approximately doubled the original cost of the project. As a result, Metrolinx would defer the Kerr St. grade separation for an undefined length of time; and Burloak would now take 5 years to complete as opposed to the two-year time frame;
WHEREAS the Mayors of Oakville and Burlington on February 25, 2022 requested Metrolinx to immediately engage to address the cost increase, expressing significant disappointment in the process, the multiple delays and late request for additional funding;
WHEREAS on March 3, 2022 Metrolinx responded in writing, indicating that the request for an additional $29.5 million for Burloak Grade Separation was lowered to $19 million;
WHEREAS in discussions with the CAO’s from Oakville and Burlington, Metrolinx were in agreement to work together to examine all means to reduce the cost of Burloak as the project continued to be underway, and that Oakville and Metrolinx work together to reduce the Kerr project costs and to continue to move forward with Kerr, albeit following the Burloak project; and
WHEREAS the Oakville Councillors of Ward 1 and 2 issued a news release calling on the Province to ensure that the previous commitments to the construction of both grade separations move forward immediately and at the costs agreed to in 2018;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
THAT Council requests the President and CEO of Metrolinx, the Premier of Ontario, and the Minister of Transportation intervention and involvement to ensure that these priority grade separations, Kerr and Burloak, move forward immediately and in accordance with the 2018 agreed upon costing arrangements.
AND THAT the resolution be forwarded to all Oakville MP’s and MPP’s, the Region of Halton, and the City of Burlington.