Transit Expansion Project Management

As you may have heard, Mayor John Tory made an announcement in Scarborough today (June 17) that contained two items of significance for the TTC and, more specifically our EC&E Group (Engineering, Construction and Expansion).

Firstly, the Mayor confirmed that the cost for the originally planned three-stop subway is now estimated to be $4.3 billion, as a result of the design and survey work that we have now undertaken.

The Mayor rightly pointed out that the original estimate was based on zero planning or design work and on the back of a sketch that was given to the TTC by way of direction.

As such, I am pleased to see that the Mayor has publicly acknowledged the constraints that our Scarborough Subway Extension (SSE) team had to work with, and the perils of requiring staff to commit to a budget before any design work has been undertaken.

Second, the Mayor signalled his intention to make greater use of the private sector in the delivery of large-scale transit expansion projects, going forward.

The Mayor and Chair are signalling their desire to implement a revised model, in which the TTC would focus more on day-to-day delivery of transit service, and in which private sector expertise can be deployed to leverage greater cost efficiencies and risk transfer in the delivery of major transit expansion projects. I see no implied criticism here.

So what does this mean for EC&E? While the biggest and most complex expansion projects may, in future, be delivered by a third party, they will still need considerable input from our expert in-house staff, not least to ensure that these projects are workable and that they meet our time-proven design standards.

In addition, we will continue now (and in the future) to deliver Easier Access and other construction projects.

We will also continue our design work on Scarborough, on McNicoll Garage and on the Relief Line design and other key expansion projects. And we will continue to progress the TYSSE to a 2017 opening, a project that will truly showcase the skills, dedication and passion of the TTC’s in-house teams.

I will obtain and share further details as soon as they become available and in addition, I have proposed to Susan Reed Tanaka (Chief Capital Officer) that I host an Employee Town Hall for EC&E staff in the near future to answer any questions or concerns.

Thanks for your ongoing commitment, professionalism and understanding as we adjust to a rapidly moving political environment.

Andy Byford
Chief Executive Officer
June 17, 2016