The TTC has done environmental assessments on most of the major transit projects in recent memory, including the Spadina subway extension into York Region and the Sheppard subway.

Now the city is taking over the EA for the Scarborough subway and is expected to do all future transit EAs, including the one for the downtown relief line.

The Star asked TTC CEO Andy Byford and Toronto chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat about the switch.

What does this change in responsibilities mean?

“This is a shift from thinking about our transit projects as laying down infrastructure to recognizing that projects are also about place-making, local investment, local economic development, all of those broader considerations,” said Keesmaat.

Transit lines will be studied in the context of a network, and that’s particularly important in Scarborough, where the city wants to build more density around the new transit, she said.

Does this mean the city is in charge of building transit now?

No, said Byford. The TTC is still responsible for construction. It has, however, insisted on what he calls a “firebreak” between stage 1 of the project, the EA, and stage 2, the construction. The TTC doesn’t want to be “castigated” for missed deadlines or cost overruns if the EA changes the scope or timing of projects and deadlines and budgets aren’t adjusted accordingly, he said.

How do you make sure that doesn’t happen?

City manager Joe Pennachetti is talking about drawing up terms of reference regarding the roles and responsibilities of the city and the TTC, so everyone is clear on who does what, said Byford.

“So if the first stage overran for whatever reason, on scope, budget or time, then that would be the clear accountability of the city and, ditto — if the construction overran, that would be our clear accountability,” he said.

Will this make the EA process longer?

No, said Keesmaat.

“In fact, we’ve been collaborating to date with the TTC. The teams, the key players, are very much the same. There’s some additional expertise that’s required. A good example to look at is the approach that city planning has taken in leading the relief line assessment. We’ll be using a similar process, where we’re looking at all the options and the implications through a city building lens,” she said.

The TTC will still provide technical advice, said Byford — for example if it wanted to look at whether you could run a subway on the existing Scarborough RT guideway.

“They would look to us to say, ‘Right, here are some technical impediments such as inclines, sharp curves, the need for permanent speed restrictions.’”

Why is this happening now?

The city has new personnel. These people have different expertise and want to consider how projects fit with Toronto’s Official Plan, said Byford.

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“It may not just be transit projects — I wouldn’t expect it to be, either,” he said. “Any big city-building project should fit with the Official Plan, but also with these other factors taken into account — zoning and future land use.”

Is there a suggestion that the city is dissatisfied with the way the TTC does Eas, or sees it as going too slowly or quickly?

No, said Byford. “I don’t see this as some backhanded slight on the TTC. I certainly wouldn’t think it would be because we were seen to be holding things up. On the contrary.”