Relief Line (Toronto)

Former proposed rapid transit line in Toronto, Ontario

In April 2019, the Government of Ontario under Premier Doug Ford announced that the Ontario Line, a provincially funded, automated rapid transit line running from Exhibition Place to Science Centre station, would be built instead of the Relief Line. Thus, in June 2019, TTC and City staff suspended further planning work on the Relief Line. In 2012, it was becoming apparent to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and Metrolinx that even with proposed improvements, Line 1 Yonge–Universityand particularly Bloor–Yonge station, the main interchange with Line 2 Bloor–Danforthwere facing significant capacity constraints. In 2011, Line 1 was officially over capacity between and stations. After fully converting the line's fleet to higher capacity Toronto Rocket trains, the section between St. Clair and Bloor–Yonge stations was no longer officially over capacity. However, since 2015, Line 1 still operates 11 percent over its capacity south of Line 2 during the morning rush hour. The Relief Line will provide an alternate route for commuters heading downtown by allowing them to bypass the most congested segment of Line 1 and avoid transferring at Bloor–Yonge Station. Significant growth is also planned adjacent to the downtown core and throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Population and employment in Toronto's downtown core are projected to increase by 83 percent and 28 percent, respectively, by 2031. This is expected to increase future transit demand into the downtown core by 55 percent. Metrolinx in a separate report projects that with the implementation of GO Transit's GO Expansion (formerly known as Regional Express Rail service), passenger traffic at Union Station will double or triple 2005 volumes by 2031. This could lead to a significant capacity shortfall for Union Station beyond 2031, potentially requiring a modified Relief Line with connections to auxiliary GO Transit stations to "offload" demand at Union Station.

Toronto city staff studied the route of the Relief Line, and this is the proposed route as of April 2017: the line will begin at Pape station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth, heading south under Pape Avenue, then veering west between Riverdale Avenue and Gerrard Street. It will continue south under Carlaw Avenue to south of Queen Street East. The line then will curve westward, running approximately along Eastern Avenue to Sumach Street and King Street East, where the line would veer northwest until about Parliament Street and Queen Street. The line would then continue westward under Queen Street to terminate at University Avenue.

The Big Move called for the Relief Line to continue west of Osgoode station and connect with Line 2 in the west. In early 2013, TTC chair Karen Stintz said, "There is a general view that that line needs to get renamed." Planning undertaken by the City of Toronto referred to the proposed line simply as the "Relief Line". According to the 2018–2022 TTC Corporate Plan, the Relief Line was being tentatively designated as Line 3 and coloured blue, matching the existing line number and colouring of Line 3 Scarborough, as that existing rapid transit line was intended to be replaced by an extension of Line 2 by the time the Relief Line was projected to be complete.