The Metrolinx Virtual Open House for the Georgetown South Service Expansion and Union-Pearson Rail Link (GSSE/UPRL) has been updated.
What’s been updated?
Display boards from the June 2009 Community Open Houses are now posted for public review and comment. This series outlines the environmental impacts of the preferred project, describe potential mitigation measures, and identify how the effectiveness of those measures will be checked.
GSSE/UPRL Draft Environmental Project Report
The draft EPR opened for public comment on the Virtual Open House June 4. It combines an updated Part I with Part II and now includes:
- A project description and map
- A description of existing environmental conditions
o An outline of the impacts of the preferred project on the natural and built environments, economy and society and their interrelationships
o A description of the proposed mitigation option and how the effectiveness of those measures will be checked
What happens next?
- In addition to the Community Open Houses, Metrolinx will continue to consult public, government agencies, and First Nations in preparing the Final full Environmental Project Report.
- The consultation period will end when a Notice of Completion is issued on July 30, 2009.
- The two parts of the EPR – plus the feedback Metrolinx receives from the public, government agencies and First Nations – will be combined to produce the Environmental Project Report.
What happens after July 30, 2009?
- The Environmental Project Report will be posted for comment. The public, government agencies, and First Nations will have 30 days to review and send any objections in writing to the Minister of the Environment.
- The Minister of the Environment will have 35 days to review the report and any objections and make a decision on whether the project can proceed as described in the Environmental Project Report, proceed subject to conditions, or require more work.
What has the public had to say to date?
Since the April 2009 Open Houses, Metrolinx has:
- communicated with over 700 Open House attendees, and countless more through our 24/7 Virtual Open House
- received 218 comment forms
- received an additional 91 online submissions on the Open House Display Boards and 32 comments on Part I of the draft EPR
- almost 300 emails to the info@metrolinx.com
- over 130 letters
- 16 phone calls to the 1-866-658-9890
Below is a summary of key themes in the comment forms from the April Open Houses:
THEME
Number of Comments
RESPONSE
Strachan Grade Separation
262
Upon hearing the concerns of residents in April, the Metrolinx technical team began to search for a different solution in collaboration with the City of Toronto.
The recommended option now addresses neighbourhood concerns and meets GO operational requirements.
The highlights of the new proposal are:
§ A design that lowers the rail corridor at the Wellington Street West/Douro intersection to a deeper level in order to allow for a gentler grade for the road
§ All of the streets are kept open. Douro and Wellington West are no longer impacted. Commercial trucks will not have to be rerouted onto residential streets
§ The “roller coaster” effect is lessened, resulting in a safer and more accessible design for cyclists and pedestrians
§ There will be opportunities for beautification in the rail corridor
Electrification
70
Metrolinx has announced an electrification study of the entire GO Transit rail system as a future alternative to diesel trains currently in service. The study could commence as early as this summer and be completed by winter 2010.
While the study is being done, work will continue on the line using design elements that would accommodate both electric and diesel trains, such as designing structures (bridges and grade separations) to meet the height requirements for electrification, or ensuring track spacing is being designed to allow for foundations and columns associated with the catenaries required for electrification.
Liberty Village/King St. West station
53
There are a number of technical challenges that preclude a GO stop at either King or
Queen Street.
King Street
The corridor is very narrow at King Street. To accommodate a platform, the corridor
would have to be widened outside the existing rail property lines and would require
large scale property acquisition and the replacement of the entire King Street railway structure.
Queen Street
Neither Queen Street nor the new Dufferin Jog structure could accommodate the extra width required for a new platform. Also, building a platform would result in significant property requirements and road regrading.
Both locations would also result in platforms on a curve which can result in unsafe conditions.
Noise, Vibration, Air Quality + Human Health Impacts
49
The purpose of this series of Open Houses is to outline the environmental impacts of the project and describe potential mitigation measures.
The Metrolinx Technical Team exercised extreme due diligence in assessing the noise, vibration, air quality and human health impacts of the proposed service expansion.
The maximum possible service levels (train volume, speeds) were used to predict future impacts. In addition, factors such as weather, operating conditions, as well as noise and emissions from adjacent roads, were factored in where appropriate.
As a result of this approach, the projected impacts identified are likely to be greater than actual impacts.
Notification of Consultation Process
45
The Schedule for Metrolinx Open Houses was:
§ published two consecutive weeks in newspapers along the corridor and in the Toronto Star (April 2,3 and April 9, 10)
§ mailed to almost 30,000 households 40m along the corridor as part of the Notice of Commencement notification
§ posted on the Metrolinx website
§ email-blasted to over 1500 stakeholder groups and individuals
Union-Pearson Rail Link
28
High-order transit connectivity to the Pearson Airport district from all directions in part of Metrolinx’s Big Move, including a multi-purpose, fast transit link to downtown Toronto.
This project is defined by GO Transit’s future operating needs. It also opens up the opportunity to offer the Air-Rail Link service on GO Transit infrastructure.