Background
The Toronto Port Authority runs the popular Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport at the foot of Bathurst. Right now, you must take a ferry in order to catch your flight out of Toronto.
The Toronto Port Authority is building a pedestrian tunnel under the Western Gap to give passengers a second, reliable and easy access route to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
So far, the TPA has completed an Environmental Assessment which found that the tunnel would have no significant environmental impacts once its built, and it has issued an RFP to consortia vying to build and operate the tunnel.
The tunnel is being funded privately, not by taxpayers. Construction is anticipated to take 25 months and will be completed in the summer of 2014.
The Tunnel News section provides updates on the latest status of the pedestrian tunnel.
Wondering how the project would be funded?
There are many ways the Toronto Port Authority could build a tunnel. The most effective was deemed to be a public private partnership.
A public private partnership is one between a public sector authority and a private entity to deliver a public infrastructure asset and its related services. Highway 407, north of Toronto, was built as a public-private partnership project.
The idea behind a public private partnerships is simple: rather than having the Toronto Port Authority manage a complex construction process, a private sector company – with the right skills and technical knowhow – takes responsibility for the project, including the financing and associated risks. In exchange, they get a long term ‘revenue stream’ from the property that includes payments from the Toronto Port Authority.
In the case of the TPA, the pedestrian tunnel's construction will be financed over time by passengers who use the service, through the Airport Improvement Fee of $20 included in their flight cost. The public sector, and the taxpayer, would not pay for the construction of the tunnel under this public private partnership process.
What's the BENEFIT of a P3 project?
- On-time delivery of projects
- On-budget delivery of projects
- Lower total
- Innovation
- Access to capital
Want to know more about the tunnel project?
Please download
a media kit for additional information on the tunnel project.