Toronto Port Authority Announces Team to Develop Preliminary Runway Design Intended to Provide Information on Porter Proposal for Toronto City Council and Stakeholders

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TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2014 /CNW/ - The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) today announced the multi-disciplinary group of consultancies chosen to conduct the Preliminary Runway Design as part of ongoing study into the Porter Proposal, in connection with various motions passed by Toronto City Council on April 1, 2014. The TPA has engaged the services of MMM Group Limited, Stantec Consulting Ltd., and WSP Canada Inc. for their expertise in such areas as runway design, aviation, and coastal protection. The completion of a Preliminary Runway Design, which will include airside improvements, will be used to inform future discussions on the Porter Proposal by City Council and will be a necessary component for those stakeholders seeking more information on a potential extension of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport's runway 08-26.

The Preliminary Runway Design also incorporates a 150-metre Runway End Safety Area (RESA), which may be mandated by Transport Canada in the near future for certain qualifying runways at Canadian airports. The 150-metre RESA would fall within, and not be in addition to, the 200-metre shoreline extension that forms part of the Porter Proposal. RESAs are intended to provide an additional layer of safety in the event of an aircraft overrun during take-off or landing.

"In April of this year, the elected officials at Toronto City Council passed a series of motions aimed at developing a greater understanding of the Porter Proposal. Some of these motions have triggered the need for us to perform essential work, which will give City Council the information it says it requires to further consider the Porter Proposal concept at some point in the future," said Gene Cabral, Executive Vice President of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Toronto Port Authority. "It is precisely this work that we are endeavouring to complete."

The Preliminary Runway Design is one of several initiatives the TPA is currently undertaking. These include an Environmental Assessment, the team for which was announced on August 20, 2014; an update to the 2012 Airport Master Plan, which is predicated on a Q400-only aircraft scenario; and a separate Airport Master Plan which, as requested by Council, contemplates the potential introduction of new-technology jet aircraft. The TPA is also participating in the City of Toronto's Bathurst Quay Precinct Plan to ensure that the various initiatives are aligned and inform each other.

The consulting group led by MMM Group Limited, Stantec Consulting Ltd., and WSP Canada Inc. were among six teams that responded to a Request For Proposal (RFP) issued by the TPA on April 29, 2014. The design will be completed in the next nine months and will be provided to Toronto City Council and made available to stakeholders and the community.

TORONTO PORT AUTHORITY (www.torontoport.com)
For more than 100 years the Toronto Port Authority has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. The Toronto Port Authority owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomes more than two million passengers each year; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Terminals 51 and 52, which provide transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. The Toronto Port Authority is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $5.6 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. TPA operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.

SOURCE: Toronto Port Authority

Media Contact: Erin Mikaluk, Senior Manager, Communications & Media Relations, Toronto Port Authority, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]