LVBIA Research and Needs Assessment Project_ Current State Report.pdf
Current State Report
Impacts and solutions to transit-related construction in Liberty Village
This Liberty Village BIA Research and Assessment project is intended to help:
• better understand and identify the impacts and challenges of major transit project-related construction on the people living and working in Liberty Village
• explore potential solutions to mitigate these problems.
The project has been graciously funded through the City of Toronto’s Construction Mitigation Grant Program and the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Overview
Purpose
There are several major transit and transit-related projects unfolding in and around Liberty Village BIA. While these projects represent a significant long-term investment and future benefit, they will involve many years of construction which will impact the BIA and broader community.
To better understand the impacts of this construction on people living and working in the area, the Liberty Village BIA is undertaking a Research and Needs Assessment Project. The purpose of this project is to:
• Understand different stakeholders’ pain points and concerns about construction impacts
• Identify the “top problems” worth solving
• Propose solutions to address constructionrelated challenges (including implementation and phasing)
About this report
This Current State Report is the first of three reports informing the Research and Needs Assessment. It includes information gathered through a background review and stakeholder engagement and covers:
• A background on the BIA and the construction projects’ details, timelines, and anticipated impacts
• What’s already happening to mitigate impacts
• What we heard about pain points, problems worth solving, and solutions
• Next steps
The others reports are:
• A Recommendations Report identifying recommended solutions to mitigate problems
• An Implementation Strategy that includes a phased road map for developing top solutions
What’s informed the work
Background review
Site visit, project websites and reports, BIA studies and reports
LVBIA
Research and Needs Assessment
Input and direction from Liberty Village BIA
Advocacy Committee, Board of Management
Feedback from community stakeholders
Commercial property owners, small businesses (retail, restaurants, services), “top 10” employers, residents, and visitors
Feedback from public agency stakeholders
Metrolinx, City of Toronto, TTC
Approach
Round One
Understanding needs and ideas
June - July
Focus: stakeholders’ pain points, needs, top problems worth solving, thoughts on solutions
Advocacy Committee
Meeting 1
Review background and confirm approach
Agency stakeholder meetings
Metrolinx / Ontario Transit Group, City, Infrastructure Ontario
Virtual community stakeholder meetings Commercial property owners, “top 10” employers, small businesses (retail, restaurants, services), residents
Online community survey #1
Advocacy Committee
Meeting 2
Current state report
Round Two
Identifying solutions and implementation
August
Focus: identify and evaluate top solutions, identify phasing
Advocacy Committee
Meeting 3
Online community survey #2
Final recommendations report and implementation strategy
The Research and Needs Assessment is informed by a two round process. The first round’s focus is understanding the details of the construction projects and different stakeholders’ pain points, needs, thoughts on top problems worth solving, and suggested solutions. The second round’s focus is evaluating potential solutions to identify top solutions and the implementation and phasing of those solutions. Both rounds include engagement.
Background
Inputs into this section
Ontario Line / Exhibition Station / Transit Oriented Community SmartTrack GO Station
• Metrolinx websites and reports (Exhibition Station, Ontario Line, Ontario Line Environmental Impact Assessment summary)
• Exhibition Station CLC Presentations (April and May 2024)
• Exhibition Transit Oriented Community Planning Rationale and Site Plan
• Metrolinx business supports survey
• Meeting with Metrolinx, June 6, 2024
• Metrolinx website (King-Liberty GO Station)
• City website
• Meeting with Metrolinx, June 14, 2024
King Street City watermain and TTC streetcar work
• City website
• TTC website
• Meeting with City and TTC, June 28, 2024 Other
• LVBIA website
• Preliminary list of BIAidentified projects
• CUI Economic Impact Study and dashboard
• Liberty Village Public Realm Strategy, Neighbourhood Streets Plan, Precinct Parking Study (City)
• City websites (construction hub, Gardiner Expressway Strategic Rehabilitation)
• Meeting with City Economic Development, June 27, 2024
About Liberty Village BIA and community
The Liberty Village BIA is home to over 600 businesses. Unlike many BIAs, Liberty Village is not centred on a main street — it is a campus that is divided into two areas: a commercial area on the west side and a residential one on the east. It is also largely a commercial BIA. Many members are property owners and major employers, though there are several retail, food, and service businesses.
Construction overview
Major transit projects: primary focus of this work
King-Liberty SmartTrack GO Station
King Street West water main and TTC streetcar track work
Other relevant construction, events, and changes
• Gardiner Rehabilitation Project
• Road resurfacing projects
• Property redevelopments
• Ontario Place redevelopment
• Sewer Replacement ProjectFraser Avenue and Liberty Street (October- Spring 2025)
Exhibition Transit-Oriented Community (Jefferson and Atlantic sites), Ontario Line track work, Exhibition Station upgrade
• Most disruptive period anticipated to end around 2028
• Timing of unnamed Liberty New Street un-confirmed
• Most construction impacts anticipated on Sudbury Street, sidewalk closure and periodic full road closures
• Other temporary full road closures planned for Joe Shuster Way
• Current work on schedule to be completed by November
• Additional work and closures planned next year
Initial construction-related pain points and impacts
identified by public agencies and the BIA
• Congestion and pinch points in and out of Liberty Village (Dufferin, Strachan), exacerbated by work like the recent emergency repair of Dufferin Bridge
• Visitor confusion, “invisibility” of BIA due to lack of wayfinding (Exhibition Station)
• Traffic congestion within Liberty Village (including increased construction vehicle traffic) (Liberty Street)
• Longer wait and travel times on transit (bus and streetcar detours and diversions) (King, Dufferin)
• Dust and noise
• Lost business for BIA members (cited as at least 10% of revenue by some businesses)
• Disturbance of wildlife, trees, ecological function
Addressing impacts
Who
does what
The BIA
• Leads projects within BIA’s mandate: marketing (digital, physical, and in-community), operational, programming, and BIA member and community engagement
• Collaborates with others to lead mutually beneficial projects (such as public agencies, Exhibition Place, and others)
• Encourages and advocates to others to either support BIA-led projects or to lead projects
Public agencies
Metrolinx, Ontario Transit Group, Infrastructure Ontario, City
• Manage construction (road closures, diversions) and provide notice about disruptions
• Develop and implement impact mitigation efforts (dust, noise, vibration, scheduling, and more)
• Provide grants and funding to support BIA-led projects
• Share information and engage with the community on an on-going basis
Efforts already underway to mitigate impacts
Efforts led by public agencies
• Managing truck traffic and congestion. Traffic management, safety, and trucking plan
• Limiting noise. Efforts to limit work to daytime, plans to loop trucks (avoiding back-up noise), noise and monitoring devices
• Reducing dust and dirt. Street sweepers, wheel cleaning, construction hoarding, dust nets
• Maintaining transit and neighbourhood access. New GO Station platform, temporary pedestrian bridge over rail corridor, temporary Exhibition Station entrance, elevator upgrades, lighting upgrades
• Informing and engaging the community. Construction Liaison Committee, online “Construction Hub”
• Promoting BIA events and local businesses in notices
• Promoting Liberty Village businesses. Liberty Village branding video
• Developing programs and experiences to keep people coming. Walk Liberty program, Give Me Liberty annual event
• Representing business interests in meetings with public agencies, including the Ontario Line Construction Liaison Committee (CLC)
• Shop local campaigns and gift cards
Additional solutions the BIA is considering
Promoting Liberty Village food and experiences
• Discover LV. Guidebook and video promoting Liberty Village restaurants and patios.
• Discover Liberty Placemaking Project augmented reality tour, light installation, 6-month long music series.
Promoting office space
• LV commercial property video. Showcasing office space to attract tenants.
Improving BIA visibility
• BIA rebranding. New look rolled out through website, pole banners, street signs, stickers, and more.
• Neighbourhood ad. Plywood construction fencing at Atlantic Avenue Exhibition Station entrance/exit.
• LED Liberty Village sign on new temporary bridge over the rail corridor.
• BIA branding and promotion in rail corridors like updated murals. Addressing congestion
Traffic congestion area study that will present a current state report to Metrolinx and the City. Study will include monitoring Liberty Village traffic movement, collecting data, parking capacity, access points, transit routes, traffic light adjustments, intersection operations, rideshare traffic, pedestrian and cyclist traffic, safety and collisions at intersections.
Improving wayfinding
• Wayfinding improvements. New signs and maps near transit stations.
• TO360 wayfinding. Longer-term strategy to adopt City’s wayfinding signs and maps in around the community.
• Sidewalk alternatives. Formalizing off-street pedestrian connections through laneways and other publicly-accessible spaces.
Other ideas
• King Street underpass improvements to improve safety (upgraded lighting).
• SafeWalk program to provide people with a walking buddy if they feel unsafe walking on their own.
City funding sources for some potential BIA-led projects
Shared by Economic Development
• Outdoor Mural & Street Art Program. Business associations and community groups with strong business participation can receive one- time funding for outdoor mural projects that help promote a local theme and facilitate commercial or industrial neighbourhood identity. The mural program helps local businesses and communities create an attractive and positive identity for their area.
• Outside the Box Program. The Outside the Box program provides an opportunity for local artists to create works of art on traffic signal boxes across Toronto. Since 2013, over 350 boxes have been hand-painted by local artists, or wrapped featuring designs by local graphic artists, and transformed into extraordinary works of art. Artists and graphic designers applying to this program are encouraged to consider the context of the local area and the city as a whole. Art calls for hand-painted boxes, and graphic designs for wrapped boxes, are issued separately.
• Support Mural Program. The City provides materials for the creation of graffiti art and art murals on properties with a history of repeated graffiti vandalism on walls exposed to city streets. Property owners who have received a Notice of Violation for Graffiti from Municipal Licensing & Standards or can otherwise prove they are experiencing issues with graffiti vandalism (i.e. photos or a Google streetview image) are eligible to receive up to $2,000 of direct material purchases.
• Partnership Program The StART Partnership Program provides support and up to $70,000 in funding for large-scale projects that support the program’s mission to revitalize and engage communities through mural, street, and graffiti art.
• Underpass Program. StART Underpass Program (StART UP) transforms selected underpasses with enhanced lighting, improved sidewalks and walking conditions, pigeon proofing and the removal of weeds. Often, the installation of a mural or street art acts as the catalyst for these improvements. StART UP aims to transform several underpasses per year. The Call to Artists for Expressions of Interest pertains to the mural component of the program only.
• StART Monumental Program. The StART Monumental program provides opportunities for street artists to create works of art that make Toronto streets vibrant, safe, walkable and beautiful through community-engaged, culturally relevant art. StART Monumental will also create opportunities to mentor emerging and mid-career mural artists in an effort provide them with the training and experience necessary to assist them with producing large scale murals at heights.
• Concrete Barrier Art Program. The City is considering a range of options to enhance Toronto streets and trails, including the installation of concrete “jersey” barriers in key areas to help ensure pedestrian, cyclist and TTC passenger safety.
Related studies and plans
City of Toronto Public Realm Strategy, Neighbourhood Streets Plan, and Precinct Parking Study
• Intended to provide clarity for both public and private-led public realm enhancements
• Recommends changes to streets like traffic calming measures, safety improvements, conversion of parking to sidewalks, new sidewalks, and changes parking permissions
• Recognizes the need to improve mobility and pedestrian connections due to construction, considering location, safety, and design.
• Identifies promotion of non-automobile modes as one way to address congestion
• The BIA has a Public Realm Master Plan, last updated in 2016
Canadian Urban Institute Economic Impact Studies - see dashboard
• Notes a decrease in foot traffic since 2019 (largely due to the pandemic), with some recovery in 2023.
• Identifies that commuting mode is 46% automobile, 34% transit and concludes road and transit disruptions have a big impact on Liberty Village’s economy.
• Latest update indicates travel times are getting worse.
What we heard in Round One
From meetings with public agencies
Metrolinx, City of Toronto, TTC
• General support for most projects on the preliminary list of potential BIAled initiatives. Agencies may share additional information pending further review.
• Caution over installing LED sign over the rail corridor due to safety policies and protocols.
• Interest in continuing work with the BIA, including through joint community engagement and outreach.
• Suggestions to work with agencies, particularly with Transportation Services around traffic congestion study and TO360 wayfinding. Potential funding sources were also shared by Economic Development staff.
From meetings with BIA members
Problems, pain points, and most important problems to solve Thoughts on the BIA’s list of potential projects Other suggestions for the BIA to consider
• Traffic congestion
• Dirt, noise, and mess from construction
• Reduced access to businesses in Liberty Village
• Safety in and around construction
• Confusion from lack of signage, particularly from the GO station
• Support for the initiatives the BIA is looking to undertake, particularly:
• the traffic congestion study
• plywood construction fencing with neighbourhood ad, and
• Discover LV guidebook and video promoting Liberty Village restaurants and patios.
• wayfinding improvements
• sidewalk improvements
• a SafeWalk program
• Work with FIFA to mitigate construction impacts
• Create a campaign to encourage shopping local and support businesses during construction
• Consider doing walking tours to encourage people to walk and explore the old routes of Liberty Village.
• Encourage people to cycle to and around Liberty Village – cycling is often the fastest way to get from point A to point B
• Advocate to the City or other agencies to:
• delay non-essential construction
• improve planning of truck parking and traffic management
• Hire police officers to support traffic flow in and out of LV
• Change bus routes and rideshare pick-up locations
From a meeting with residents
• Traffic congestion
• Noise
• Safety of pedestrians and cyclists
• Impacts on businesses
• Impacts on property values Problems, pain points, and most important problems to solve Thoughts on the BIA’s list of potential projects Other suggestions for the BIA to consider
• The BIA-led projects look great, but will have limited benefit if the congestion and safety issues aren’t addressed.
• Set up an info booth to help inform residents about what’s going on and what strategies are in place to mitigate impacts.
• Engage provincial and other tourism agencies to help promote LV in airports, airplane brochures, and elsewhere.
• Bring more diverse retail options, like clothing stores.
• Continue the LV gift cards program that helps keep the money in the community.
• Prioritize mobilizing and organizing its constituencies (including businesses and residents) to advocate to the City, Metrolinx, and others to do better.
From the online survey
1. Trafc congestion
2. Longer wait and travel times on public transit
3. Dust, dirt, and construction mess
Other construction related pain points identified
• Difculty for emergency services to get to people in need and get out of LV.
• Construction projects taking too long or not finishing on time.
• Poor planning and coordination among diferent construction projects causing prolonged congestion and noise.
• Difculty getting of the GO train during rush hours due to space around the station being closed by construction.
• Difculty seeing signage and hearing public announcements at the GO station due to construction noise.
• Top pain points
From the online survey
Most important projects
Top 5 most important
1. Trafc congestion area study to identify challenges and potential solutions
2. Formalizing and promoting of-street pedestrian connections through laneways (to serve as sidewalk alternatives)
3. Wayfinding improvements, including signs and maps (especially near construction areas)
4. Promoting ways to get to Liberty Village, such as cycling (provided there are safe routes)
5. LED "Liberty Village" sign on temporary bridge over the GO train corridor at Exhibition Station AND Updated murals, art, and BIA branding in the rail corridor
Other solutions the BIA could consider leading:
• Promote information about upcoming events that will impact trafc.
• Create more year-round attractions to attract visitors to Liberty Village outside of events at BMO Field and Exhibition.
1. The most intense and impactful construction periods are underway or beginning soon – at least one major project (King Street West) is wrapping up soon.
2. The BIA and public agencies already have many efforts underway to mitigate construction impacts.
3. Many of the projects the BIA is considering have the support of public agencies, BIA members, and residents. Several of these are projects the BIA can lead independently, some require collaboration with others, and some may involve advocacy to others.
Conclusions
4. The selection and implementation of solutions will likely need to be informed by:
a. where the BIA has a unique role and mandate to do implement it (and not duplicate others’ efforts)
b. the desirability of the solution (based on BIA priorities and feedback from participants)
c. the feasibility of the solution (the ability of the BIA to implement the solution
d. the value of the solution (the degree to which the solution addresses a top problem)
e. other factors (availability of funding, BIA resources, time to implement, and more)
