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CPCS leads seabus feasibility study for Waterfront Toronto

Could Toronto support a water-based transport system along its waterfront? CPCS explored this question in a study for Waterfront Toronto, identifying two feasible route options for a potential fixed route, set-scheduled, marine passenger service across Toronto’s harbour.

Challenge

Waterfront Toronto sought to understand if there was demand for such a passenger service and if this service could improve access and travel times between major destinations located along Toronto’s harbour. The agency needed clarity on potential routes, travel times, and operational feasibility to determine whether seabus service could meaningfully complement Toronto’s existing transportation network.  

The challenge included determining future demand from attractions, housing and business developments that are expected to come on-line over the next decade.

Solutions

CPCS, with support from its partners CIMA+ and Access Planning, studied five potential route options and determined two feasible candidates: they are routes A and D as shown in maps below.

Route A

• A 24-minute, end-to-end ride following a near-shore path along the mainland.

• As shown in the image below, stops would include: Ontario Place, Portland Slip, Yonge Slip, Parliament Slip, and Ookwemin Minising (site of a new, large urban park and significant future housing and business developments).

Route D

• A 66-minute route serving the same stops as route A as well as serving stops on the Toronto Islands and the Outer Harbour Marina as show in the map below.

• Between route D and its options 1 and 2, Waterfront Toronto favoured option 2 as it avoids travel along the open lake side of the island.

Impact

Waterfront Toronto is moving forward with a pilot project to test the viability of the seabus service concept. As tourism surges, residential populations rise, and redevelopment accelerates along Toronto’s shoreline, water‑based mobility stands to become a vital part of the city’s future transportation ecosystem.

If implemented, seabuses could:

• Offer an alternative commute for thousands of Torontonians.

• Improve access to attractions on the waterfront for residents and tourists.

• Increase transportation capacity along high‑growth waterfront zones.

• Support sustainable waterfront development as the area densifies.

• Position Toronto alongside global peers like San Francisco, New York, and Vancouver, where marine passenger networks play a critical transportation role.

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