Coalition of community groups wants answers on Gardiner East costs

Forty community groups have signed a letter to the city's deputy mayor calling for a full accounting of the controversial Gardiner East project costs and any revenues which might be left on the table after the expressway is rebuilt.

The coalition calls itself Gardiner East Transparency and includes groups like Community Bikeways, ClimateFast and Transport Action Ontario. It released the letter a week ahead of a key meeting of the infrastructure and environment committee, which will discuss the project on March 20.

Albert Koehl, a spokesperson for the coalition, said it's time to have an open and clear discussion about the cost implications of the project.

"This is a fabulous opportunity for council to say we'd like to see the facts, we want to see the updated numbers around the construction costs," he said.

"And we want to see what we're losing out on in terms of foregone revenues."

In 2016, councillors decided to spend just over $1 billion to retain the eastern portion of the expressway, moving it farther north while tearing down a ramp over Logan Avenue. The so-called "hybrid option" was chosen instead of a proposal to tear down a 1.7-kilometre section of the Gardiner east of Jarvis Street and replace it with a surface-level boulevard for less than half the cost.

But the project was, and remains, controversial. It represents approximately 14 per cent of the city's overall 10-year capital plan, according to staff.

Koehl said the coalition wants councillors to direct city staff at the committee meeting to do a deep dive on the project.

"We want it done in a very detailed way," he said.

"So far, what we've seen is a four-page briefing note."

City staff say changing course may not save money

Last month, in response to questions from Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie, city staff provided that briefing note. In it, Barbara Gray, the city's general manager of transportation, outlined the possible impacts of changing course on the project.

"Any deviation from the currently approved … option would require new design work," she said in the document.

"Given this, we are not able to say if any funds would be saved by reverting to the "Remove" option, or if any funds would be available for reallocating that would not impact the delivery of the necessary state-of-good repair work."

Lyn Adamson, of ClimateFast, said the Gardiner rebuild runs counter to the city's climate change targets and needs to be revisited.

"The Gardiner East project reflects yesterday's thinking while undermining our Net Zero by 2040 strategy. We need a plan that draws people out of their cars and onto efficient, affordable transit and to walking and cycling," she said in a statement.

Matlow looking for Gardiner East project off-ramp

Coun. Josh Matlow, who represents Ward 12, Toronto-St. Paul's, pushed to get the administrative inquiry on the committee agenda next week. He said he's skeptical that reversing course wouldn't save money, and is happy to see the community groups raising questions.

"I know that a lot of Torontonians want the same answers," he said.

"We don't want to be just told that it's happening because the former mayor wanted it to happen."

Matlow said the city has a $1.5 billion budget gap this year and it needs to reevaluate the spending on the Gardiner East.

"I want to make sure that what this city does, when it comes to infrastructure projects, [is] evidence-based, uses every tax dollar responsibly, and that we don't do things just because they're good politics," he said.

McKelvie said changing course now is expected to save no money and could possibly cost more money. It will result in throwaway costs of $340 million for the section already completed, she said in a statement.

"We cannot keep having the same conversations about decisions that have been made seven years ago," she said.

"The City of Toronto has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this project. The Gardiner Expressway is over 60 years old and is in a poor state of repair. It needs renewal."

The Gardiner was built in segments between 1955 and 1966. When council adopted the refurbishment plan, staff said it was an urgent matter because the roadway was reaching the end of its service life.

$500M already spent or committed in contracts

City staff said approximately $500 million earmarked for the project has been spent or committed to in contracts. The city said an additional $770 million is set aside in the city's 10-year capital budget for work still planned to begin in 2026.

Approximately $60 million is set aside to be spent on the project in 2023, which is 14 per cent of the city transportation department's $435-million capital budget.

The work already completed on the project cost includes realignment of both the expressway from Cherry Street to the Don Valley Parkway and Lake Shore Boulevard, and new on- and off-ramps east of Cherry Street.

But city staff warned last month that the cost of the other work on Lake Shore Boulevard needs updated costing. That includes "public realm" construction, utility relocations and electrical work.

"The estimate did not account for the significant inflation that's being experienced on construction projects," City Manager Paul Johnson warned in a report to council.