Durham Region is continuing its study on the Simcoe Street Rapid Transit Corridor after regional councillors voted 13-9 to refer the report back to staff for further review.
The potential transit options could cost between $800 million and just under $1.1 billion.
The decision, made during a Committee of the Whole meeting on Jan. 15, 2025, instructs staff to develop a communication plan, define the project scope and consult with Oshawa Council by the third quarter of 2025.
The corridor, stretching from Lakeview Park in Oshawa to the proposed Central Oshawa Station, is one of the region’s busiest transit corridors, carrying more than 20 per cent of Durham’s total ridership.
With 42 per cent of Oshawa’s population and 51 per cent of its jobs located along the route, regional officials say improving transit access could be a game-changer for health care, education and employment in the area.
The ongoing feasibility study, funded partially through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, looked at multiple transit options, including bus rapid transit (BRT), aerial cable car transit (ACCT), light rail transit (LRT), subways, high-frequency buses and monorails. So far, BRT and ACCT have emerged as the strongest contenders.
BRT would create dedicated lanes, improving travel times and reliability but requiring the removal of traffic lanes. The system would take up to 10 years to build and require 16 acres of land.
ACCT would operate above the street, offering uninterrupted service with cabins arriving every 26 seconds during peak hours. It would require two acres of land and could be completed in six to seven years with minimal disruptions.
Currently, the Durham Region relies on a bus system that shares lanes with general traffic, leading to delays during peak hours.
Public input gathered between 2022 and 2023 reflected strong support for both BRT and ACCT over high-frequency bus services.
The region’s consultation efforts reached over 100,000 people through social media, collected more than 400 survey responses, recorded 7,000 unique visits to the project website and engaged over 500 attendees at Public Information Centre (PIC) meetings.
The financial cost of the project is a key concern. The BRT system carries an estimated price tag of $800 million, while ACCT is projected to cost just under $1.1 billion.
However, Durham Region’s director of transportation and field services, David Dunn, highlighted the potential economic benefits of the aerial cable car system.
“The region expects an economic return of $2.80 for every dollar invested in ACCT, equating to $2.3 billion in additional development,” Dunn said. “The BRT option is projected to generate $1.5 billion.”
Projected operating revenues also favour ACCT, which is expected to bring in $30.1 million, compared to $27.6 million for BRT. Officials also anticipate additional cost savings through reduced parking needs.
Dunn made it clear that external funding is necessary before the project moves forward.
“After the study is when we will be looking for external funding or private partnerships to be able to fund this project,” he said. “There would be no expectations that this project would proceed without external senior government funding.”
Despite the potential benefits, some councillors questioned the feasibility and cost of the project.
Councillor Rick Kerr suggested testing a pilot project on Ritson Road to help relieve congestion on Simcoe Street.
Councillor Rhonda Mulcahy acknowledged the skepticism surrounding the proposal. “The skepticism is definitely there,” she said. “It’s a pretty big price tag.”
She also questioned whether the continued study costs were justified.
Meanwhile, Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri took issue with the lack of firsthand evaluation of the proposed transit technology.
“How do we spend a billion dollars without even seeing what we’re paying for?” he asked.
The discussion also touched on emergency preparedness, sustainability, cost considerations and international examples of similar transit projects.
Countries such as Colombia and Bolivia, as well as cities like Mexico City and San Francisco, have implemented aerial cable car transit, leading to reduced traffic congestion, more efficient transportation and quicker travel times.
Councillors ultimately voted to refer the report back to staff for further planning and consultation.
“Today we’re not asking for council to endorse the implementation,” Dunn said. “We’re just asking to study further. There’s still approximately another two years’ worth of studies to do on this project, just to get to a point where we would decide if this is something that we would want to implement.”
The next phase of the study is expected to cost $3 million, with 27 per cent of the funding coming from external sources.