Abstract Manager

The expansion of mass transit infrastructure is crucial for accommodating the rapidly growing population in Canadian urban areas and promoting a shift towards sustainable modes of transportation. Provincial and federal governments are allocating significant resources to metro, tramway, and BRT projects nationwide. However, these initiatives are becoming increasingly costly, exceeding inflation rates and international benchmarks, thereby threatening the timely delivery of necessary infrastructure to bridge the current sustainable mobility gap. Many projects are consequently being scaled back or postponed, impacting not only transit endeavors but also critical urban infrastructure investments.

As most rail transit projects in Canada are currently being built in the Toronto region, our investigation delves into Metrolinx's project portfolio, comparing it with transit initiatives in global cities. By analyzing cost data from completed and ongoing projects, we categorize expenses into soft (e.g., land acquisition, planning) and hard (e.g., construction, equipment) costs, identifying specific cost drivers linked to project scope and design choices. Comparisons with peer cases, including insights from NYU's Transit Costs Project and the Eno Center for Transportation’s research, reveal four primary cost-driving factors: design choices, procurement, risk management practices, and external constraints, all significantly influencing project costs and timelines.

Drawing upon international cases where rapid transit is constructed more affordably, such as in Spain, Italy, France, Turkey, Chile, and South Korea, our study proposes actionable reforms in project planning, delivery, and cost estimation that can be implemented across Canada. It particularly emphasizes two key areas of intervention for public policymakers: potential reforms in project planning and delivery to expedite and reduce construction costs, and strategies to enhance cost estimation for better project management.