Toronto might be getting a whole new way to travel across the waterfront

A new study posted by Waterfront Toronto shows what a future marine transit system could look like along Toronto's harbour, moving passengers daily between Ontario Place, the Portlands, the Toronto Islands, and other waterfront sites by boat.

The SeaBus Feasibility Study, completed by advisory firm CPCS and delivered in October, examines whether a scheduled, fixed-route marine passenger service could operate in Toronto's Inner Harbour and serve as an alternative way of travelling between major waterfront destinations.

In total, five route options are considered in the study, running from Ontario Place to Ookwemin Minising (formerly Villiers Island), the Toronto Islands, and the Outer Harbour.

After comparing the routes, the report narrows in on two options that would be the most feasible, economically and logistically. Route A would stick close to the mainland, and connect Ontario Place, Portland Slip, Yonge Slip, Parliament Slip, and Ookwemin Minising in roughly 24 minutes from one end to the other.

Route A. Photo: CPCS.

For Route A, a 24-passenger vessel and a 50-passenger vessel would be required to service the demand in 2035 and 2050, respectively. A minimum fare of $11.01 per passenger would also be required in 2050 to cover the operational costs.

The other possible contender, Route D, is much longer at 66 minutes end-to-end, and would serve the same stops as Route A, along with added connections at Manitou Point, Ward's Island — Outer Harbour, and the Outer Harbour Marina.

Options 1 and 2 for Route D. Photo: CPCS.

According to the report, Route D would require a vessel with a capacity of 75 passengers to meet the estimated demand by 2050, as well as a minimum fare of roughly $12. During its peak month by 2050, Route D could carry approximately 153,000 passengers while Route A would transport just over $121,000 passengers.

Although neither option is considered economically feasible today, the report does note that the service could potentially break even by 2035.

Today, the five-kilometre stretch of Toronto's waterfront between Ontario Place and the Eastern Waterfront is home to over 76,000 residents and 63 million annual trips, and that number is expected to skyrocket by 2051, when the same region will be home to over 119,000 residents, and distinct visitor trips will increase to 115 million.

As mentioned in the study, Waterfront Toronto, Ports Toronto, and the City of Toronto have "expressed interest" in specifically option 2 for Route D, which would address the immediate need to increase water taxi services to the Islands, and avoid some of the "operational challenges" associated with navigating a water taxi or Seabus in the rough waters of the Outer Harbour.

This summer, Waterfront Toronto is already undertaking a pilot to test east-west travel along the Toronto harbour. The water shuttle pilot is expected to launch in June and will serve three stops, including the Portland Slip, the central waterfront, and Biidaasige Park.