Save Strachan!

Project Update – Georgetown South Service Expansion and Union-Pearson Rail Link

Admin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:23:33 +0000

Metrolinx issued the Notice of Completion for the Georgetown South Service Expansion project, including the Union-Pearson Rail Link (GSSE/UPRL).

This marks the end of the 120-day formal consultation period Ontario’s Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP).

Over the past seven months, we consulted extensively with neighbourhood organizations and individual citizens along the rail corridor. Open Houses, online consultation and meetings with community groups gave us a tremendous amount of feedback and suggestions and these led to a number of amendments and refinements to the project, including:

A new Strachan Avenue bridge design that minimizes the impact to the adjacent community and provides beautification opportunities.
Preservation of the iconic Farmer’s Market at its current location in Weston
Plans to extend the West Toronto Rail Path and connect other cycling plans along the corridor in the future
Keeping streets open in the Weston and Liberty Village neighbourhoods where possible
Designing the new pedestrian bridge over the John Street rail crossing in Weston as part of a new community vision
Facilitating community revitalization opportunities afforded by the new Weston GO Transit station

The final Environmental Project Report (EPR) and details of the next steps are now posted on metrolinx.com/gsse

The EPR is also available in hard copy at the following locations:

Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch, 2 St. Clair Avenue West, Floor 12A, Ontario, M4V 1L5. 416-314-8001
York Civic Centre, 2700 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M6M 1V1. Phone: Access Toronto General Enquiry, 416-338-0338
Toronto Public Library, City Hall Branch, Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2N3. 416-393-7650
Toronto Public Library – Weston Branch, 2 King Street, Toronto, Ontario, M9N 1K9. 416-394-1016
Toronto Public Library – Perth/Dupont Branch, 1589 Dupont Street, Toronto, ON M6P 3S5 (redirected to this location due to renovations at the Annette Street Branch)
Mississauga Public Library – Malton Branch, Malton Community Centre, 3540 Morning Star Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L4T 1Y2. 905-615-4640

Metrolinx will continue to work with the corridor communities through the next phases of the project. Please continue to check back for updates as we move forward on this important public transit expansion.

General Themes in Public Feedback (Feedback Forms + Online)

Community Open Houses in June 2009

The following is a summary of key themes from public comments received at the June 2009 Open Houses:

Theme	Response
Electrification	Electrification is a critically important issue and Metrolinx wants to get it right. Electric trains are just one component of an efficient regional rail system. We want to make sure the choices are properly framed in the context of our broader mandate to recommend the best possible investments to improve transportation, the environment, the quality of life and the economy in the GTHA. On May 26, 2009 Metrolinx announced a study of electrification of its entire GO Transit rail system. As the first step, Metrolinx has appointed a Community Advisory Committee to assist in developing the Terms of Reference for the GO System Electrification Study. This elite group of experts will recommend the Terms of Reference to the Metrolinx Board in the fall of 2009. The final Terms of Reference will guide the Electrification Study and serve as the basis for issuing any requests for proposals to undertake the Study. The Study itself will be completed in Winter 2010. In the meantime, GO Transit continues to deploy clean diesel technology – an efficient and cost-effective way of reducing congestion and moving people to places quickly, comfortably and safely. GO Transit has also been using ultra low sulphur diesel fuel for both its rail and bus services since 2006. In addition The MP40 diesel locomotives – which will be the locomotives on the Georgetown line – use the best, cleanest technology available, meeting all US Environmental Protection Act (EPA) Tier 2 Emission standards. Canada is not the only country investing in clean diesel technology. Many nations known for their extensive transit systems and progressive environmental policies use clean diesel technology on their rail networks: § In London, UK, new Bombardier diesel multiple unit (DMU) railcars will be delivered next year for use on the Gospel Oak – Barking Line, an urban railway in greater London. § In Denmark, 100 new Siemens-built DMUs have been purchased for regional train service similar to the type of service GO Transit operates. § In Germany, high-speed diesel train sets are used to operate 200 km/h service connecting Berlin, Hamburg and Copenhagen
Noise, Vibration, Air Quality + Human Health Impacts	The Environmental Project Report (EPR) documents the results of 4 studies (noise, vibration, air quality, and human health impacts of air quality) on the community surrounding the project. The studies show either no impacts or impacts which can be addressed through mitigation measures. The studies used a cautious approach, modeling impacts based on worst case scenarios to show that even under extreme weather conditions, with high traffic volumes, the project can operate safely and protect human health and the environment. Specific recommendations are made for addressing noise and vibration impacts. In some instances, people will be better off in the future as a result of the mitigation measures for this project. In all instances, any increase in sound levels greater than 5 dB will trigger a response. There are only three, confined areas which require vibration mitigation. Measures will be put in place at the time of construction. Of the eleven substances assessed in the air quality and human health studies, only one requires mitigation. Specific short, medium, and long term measures are proposed in the EPR for addressing periodic nitrogen oxide spikes which are generally expected to occur on “bad air” days. Getting people out of cars and onto transit helps to improve local and regional air quality and it reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a more sustainable GTHA.
Notification of Consultation Process	The Public Notice for the June Open Houses was: § published two consecutive weeks in 8 community newspapers along the corridor as well as in the Toronto Star and the Toronto Sun § posted on the Metrolinx website § email-blasted to over 1500 stakeholder groups and individuals that have expressed interest in the receiving continued notice about the project § emailed to local representatives, resident associations, community groups to forward on to their membership lists, as appropriate.
Community Impacts	Over the past seven months, Metrolinx has been out in the communities, listening to neighbourhood groups and individual citizens all along the corridor. There has been great interest and suggestions from everyone. As a result of the huge amount of feedback, the Georgetown South Service Expansion proposal has been changed and refined to incorporate these great ideas.
GO Stations (Liberty Village/King St. West station)	The Georgetown South service expansion also needs to balance demands for increased regional service with local needs. The GO Georgetown Service and the UPRL service will stop at Union Station, Bloor GO Weston within City of Toronto limits. While there is strong local support for a GSSE/UPRL stop at either King or Queen Street, there are a number of technical challenges that preclude a GO stop at either location. 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.
Union-Pearson Rail Link	While many comments were supportive of a rail link to Pearson Airport, there were concerns that the Union-Pearson Rail Link would not effectively serve the needs of communities along the line and of the region as a whole. In Metrolinx’s regional transportation plan, Big Move # 2 calls for high-order transit connections to the Pearson Airport from all directions. Rapid transit lines on Finch Avenue West, Eglinton Avenue West, and on Highways 403, 407 and 427 will ensure connectivity for those not served by the Union-Pearson Rail Link.

Theme

Response

Electrification

Electrification is a critically important issue and Metrolinx wants to get it right. Electric trains are just one component of an efficient regional rail system. We want to make sure the choices are properly framed in the context of our broader mandate to recommend the best possible investments to improve transportation, the environment, the quality of life and the economy in the GTHA.

On May 26, 2009 Metrolinx announced a study of electrification of its entire GO Transit rail system.

As the first step, Metrolinx has appointed a Community Advisory Committee to assist in developing the Terms of Reference for the GO System Electrification Study. This elite group of experts will recommend the Terms of Reference to the Metrolinx Board in the fall of 2009.

The final Terms of Reference will guide the Electrification Study and serve as the basis for issuing any requests for proposals to undertake the Study. The Study itself will be completed in Winter 2010.

In the meantime, GO Transit continues to deploy clean diesel technology – an efficient and cost-effective way of reducing congestion and moving people to places quickly, comfortably and safely.

GO Transit has also been using ultra low sulphur diesel fuel for both its rail and bus services since 2006. In addition The MP40 diesel locomotives – which will be the locomotives on the Georgetown line – use the best, cleanest technology available, meeting all US Environmental Protection Act (EPA) Tier 2 Emission standards.

Canada is not the only country investing in clean diesel technology. Many nations known for their extensive transit systems and progressive environmental policies use clean diesel technology on their rail networks:

§ In London, UK, new Bombardier diesel multiple unit (DMU) railcars will be delivered next year for use on the Gospel Oak – Barking Line, an urban railway in greater London.

§ In Denmark, 100 new Siemens-built DMUs have been purchased for regional train service similar to the type of service GO Transit operates.

§ In Germany, high-speed diesel train sets are used to operate 200 km/h service connecting Berlin, Hamburg and Copenhagen

Noise, Vibration, Air Quality + Human Health Impacts

The Environmental Project Report (EPR) documents the results of 4 studies (noise, vibration, air quality, and human health impacts of air quality) on the community surrounding the project. The studies show either no impacts or impacts which can be addressed through mitigation measures.

The studies used a cautious approach, modeling impacts based on worst case scenarios to show that even under extreme weather conditions, with high traffic volumes, the project can operate safely and protect human health and the environment.

Specific recommendations are made for addressing noise and vibration impacts. In some instances, people will be better off in the future as a result of the mitigation measures for this project. In all instances, any increase in sound levels greater than 5 dB will trigger a response. There are only three, confined areas which require vibration mitigation. Measures will be put in place at the time of construction.

Of the eleven substances assessed in the air quality and human health studies, only one requires mitigation. Specific short, medium, and long term measures are proposed in the EPR for addressing periodic nitrogen oxide spikes which are generally expected to occur on “bad air” days.

Getting people out of cars and onto transit helps to improve local and regional air quality and it reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a more sustainable GTHA.

Notification of Consultation Process

The Public Notice for the June Open Houses was:

§ published two consecutive weeks in 8 community newspapers along the corridor as well as in the Toronto Star and the Toronto Sun

§ posted on the Metrolinx website

§ email-blasted to over 1500 stakeholder groups and individuals that have expressed interest in the receiving continued notice about the project

§ emailed to local representatives, resident associations, community groups to forward on to their membership lists, as appropriate.

Community Impacts

Over the past seven months, Metrolinx has been out in the communities, listening to neighbourhood groups and individual citizens all along the corridor. There has been great interest and suggestions from everyone.

As a result of the huge amount of feedback, the Georgetown South Service Expansion proposal has been changed and refined to incorporate these great ideas.

GO Stations (Liberty Village/King St. West station)

The Georgetown South service expansion also needs to balance demands for increased regional service with local needs. The GO Georgetown Service and the UPRL service will stop at Union Station, Bloor GO Weston within City of Toronto limits.

While there is strong local support for a GSSE/UPRL stop at either King or Queen Street, there are a number of technical challenges that preclude a GO stop at either location.

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.

Union-Pearson Rail Link

While many comments were supportive of a rail link to Pearson Airport, there were concerns that the Union-Pearson Rail Link would not effectively serve the needs of communities along the line and of the region as a whole.

In Metrolinx’s regional transportation plan, Big Move # 2 calls for high-order transit connections to the Pearson Airport from all directions. Rapid transit lines on Finch Avenue West, Eglinton Avenue West, and on Highways 403, 407 and 427 will ensure connectivity for those not served by the Union-Pearson Rail Link.

Updated Graphics from Joe’s Office

Admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:48:58 +0000

Updated graphic and note from Joe’s office:

Visuals from Metrolinx of the proposed new Strachan Overpass.

As I believe in keeping the community informed, I am pleased to forward the rendering developed by Metrolinx of the rail grade separation at Strachan Avenue. This rendering was presented last night at Metrolinx’s Open House in Weston.

You will recall that we all have argued for an urban friendly solution and, I think that you will agree, this latest design considers the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and transit by largely abandoning the roller coaster effect of the previous design. Metrolinx has developed a good solution rooted in the City of Toronto’s and the community’s position.

This rendering will be at Metrolinx’s second Open House in the community on June 16th, 2009 at Historic Fort York between 3:00 and 8:00 pm. At that time, this acceptable solution will be formally presented to the community and comment cards will be available. Thank you once again for your participation and for caring about our neighbourhood!

Sincerely,

Joe Pantalone
Deputy Mayor
City of Toronto

Metrolinx Virtual Open House Updated

Admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:00:16 +0000

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?

GSSE/UPRL Virtual Open House Round I

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.

Rosario’s Email to The Community

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:55:41 +0000

On May 27th, our MPP sent out the following note to the community:

Dear Neighbour,

As stated in my previous communication, I was planning to hold a press conference and ask Transportation Minister Bradley a question in the Legislature on the Strachan superbridge. Due to the recent announcement of a new proposal from Metrolinx I will no longer be doing so.

I met with Metrolinx today to find out more details about their new plan

The City of Toronto’s proposal would have seen the rail line lowered by 7m and Strachan raised by 3m.

Metrolinx’s new proposal would lower the rail line by 5m while Strachan would be raised by 4m.

Metrolinx will be announcing the new plans in further detail as early as tomorrow. They will be contacting everyone who asked to stay updated. You can join this list by contacting info@metrolinx.com or by phoning 1-866-658-9890.

Beautification of the Affected Area
Metrolinx has asked for community input on the beautification of the bridge area. To share your ideas, please email info@metrolinx.com or phone 1-866-658-9890.

Metrolinx’s Open House – unveiling the new proposal for Strachan
Historic Fort York – 100 Garrison Road
Tuesday June 16th
3-8pm

I encourage everyone to attend the Metrolinx Open House between 6-8pm so you can all be a part of the same discussion.
Thank you to everyone who RSVPed to the previous email and to those who spread the word and even created Facebook groups to support these initiatives.
Thank you to David Grant (http://ourcitytoronto.ca) and the Save Strachan team (http://strachanbridge.com) who worked very hard to organize the community and will continue to monitor the specifics of the new proposal.

I am happy to see that by acting as an informed and engaged community you have made your voices heard by Metrolinx. You organized effectively to bring all three of your representatives into the campaign. By acting as a community you were able to make all parties involved accountable for their actions.

Sincerely,

Rosario Marchese, MPP
Trinity-Spadina

Joe’s Letter on New Metrolinx Compromise

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:54:31 +0000

On Tuesday 26 May, Joe Pantalone’s constituents recieved the email below.

From: Councillor Pantalone
Sent: May 26, 2009 12:03 PM
Subject: Good news on Strachan Avenue: MetroLinx has listened to our community!!

It is with the greatest pleasure that I am writing to let you know that MetroLinx has listened to the residents, businesses and other organizations that sent hundreds and hundreds of messages and letters regarding the rail grade separation at Strachan Avenue.

You will recall that all of us have been arguing for an urban friendly solution and against a solution that would have severely damaged our neighbourhood and our city. On all our behalf, I met with Mr. Rob Prichard, the new President and CEO of MetroLinx, last Monday morning.

The result of this, and countless other discussion, is a win-win outcome for our neighbourhood and MetroLinx. Here are some of the details of what MetroLinx will now propose and I support:

1) The super-bridge that cuts off Strachan Avenue from Douro Street and Wellington Street West is gone;

2) The rail corridor will be lowered at the Wellington Street West/Douro Street intersection will be 1.1 metres higher (approximately one foot higher than what the City proposed) * (see attached rendering). The intersection will not significantly be affected with all traffic/pedestrian/cycling turns as they are at the present time; and

3) To further reduce the height of the new bridge, MetroLinx has thinned the brick deck. To also address the issue of creating a cycling and pedestrian friendly corridor to our Waterfront and to our neighbourhoods, cycling lanes and pedestrian sidewalks now are included in the proposal.

While the details are not fully worked out, I am confident that this new proposal meets what we all have strived to achieve over the past year: to keep Strachan Avenue an urban friendly street. While there will be some construction disruption as this increased GO Transit and Union Station service to Pearson Airport are built, these now become matters of detail that can be solved.

MetroLinx will hold its second Open House on June 16th, 2009 at Historic Fort York between 3:00 and 8:00 pm. At that time, this acceptable solution will be formally presented to the community.

I want to conclude by thanking our MPP Rosario Marchese and our MP Olivia Chow for working closely with us. I want to thank Mr. Prichard and those at MetroLinx who listened to us, City of Toronto staff who worked hard behind the scenes, and I want to thank you for getting involved and, by doing so, making our Toronto an even better place to live, work and play as we expand our much needed public transit system in Toronto and the GTA.

Sincerely,
Joe Pantalone
Deputy Mayor
City of Toronto

Note from Rosario Marchese re: Strachan Bridge; More Details

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:15:23 +0000

A letter from Rosario with more details on the Bridge and Next Steps:

Dear Neighbour,

As stated in my previous communication, I was planning to hold a press conference and ask Transportation Minister Bradley a question in the Legislature on the Strachan superbridge. Due to the recent announcement of a new proposal from Metrolinx I will no longer be doing so.

I met with Metrolinx today to find out more details about their new plan.

The City of Toronto’s proposal would have seen the rail line lowered by 7m and Strachan raised by 3m.

Metrolinx’s new proposal would lower the rail line by 5m while Strachan would be raised by 4m.

Metrolinx will be announcing the new plans in further detail as early as tomorrow. They will be contacting everyone who asked to stay updated. You can join this list by contacting info@metrolinx.com or by phoning 1-866-658-9890.

Beautification of the Affected Area
Metrolinx has asked for community input on the beautification of the bridge area. To share your ideas, please email info@metrolinx.com or phone 1-866-658-9890.

Metrolinx’s Open House – unveiling the new proposal for Strachan
Historic Fort York – 100 Garrison Road
Tuesday June 16th
3-8pm

I encourage everyone to attend the Metrolinx Open House between 6-8pm so you can all be a part of the same discussion.
Thank you to everyone who RSVPed to the previous email and to those who spread the word and even created Facebook groups to support these initiatives.
Thank you to David Grant (http://ourcitytoronto.ca) and the Save Strachan team (http://strachanbridge.com) who worked very hard to organize the community and will continue to monitor the specifics of the new proposal.

I am happy to see that by acting as an informed and engaged community you have made your voices heard by Metrolinx. You organized effectively to bring all three of your representatives into the campaign. By acting as a community you were able to make all parties involved accountable for their actions.

Sincerely,

Rosario Marchese, MPP
Trinity-Spadina

Clean Train Coalition Meeting June 2

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:11:23 +0000

Fern Avenue Meeting, June 2, 7-9 pm

Did you know there are 25000+ kids who go to school along the Georgetown Corridor? And thousands of pre-schoolers too. We need to act now to protect their health in the coming years.

This coming Tuesday, there will be a meeting at Fern Ave Public School, sponsored by the Clean Train Coalition. This meeting will provide vital information about Metrolinx’s plans to expand diesel rail service along the Georgetown Corridor, the negative health effects of those plans and how we can lobby government to promote quicker electrification of the trains. Various local politicians, trustees and school council chairs have been invited and most have said they will attend.

Let me (Peter Morgan) know if you have any questions, and/or you think you can spare an hour or two to put posters up about this meeting on Saturday (outreach@cleantrain.ca). If you’d like to become more active in the campaign or have suggestions, your help would be greatly appreciated. Here’s our website: www.cleantrain.ca.

Metrolinx Announces Electrification Study

Admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:09:53 +0000

Yesterday, Metrolinx announced the launch of a study for the electrification of the entire GO Transit rail system to meet the future transit service demands across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

“The Big Move recommends future Express Rail service throughout the GTHA, for which electrification is an important element. This study is the critical next step. I am very pleased that we are moving forward on this issue in a comprehensive way”, said Rob MacIsaac, Chair of Metrolinx.

We are also establishing an external advisory committee that will be made up of community representatives, riders and independent technical experts, to advise Metrolinx on the Terms of Reference for the study. We will post the membership of the Advisory Committee in the coming weeks on our website. We are beginning work on the study immediately and expect to complete it by 2010.

We will continue to update you about the progress of the study. We are building an improved transit system for the region with your help.

For full release: Metrolinx to study electrification of GO Transit’s rail system

For study updates, please visit our website at metrolinx.com

Joe Pantalone’s Letter to the Community

wendy — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:53:46 +0000

Dear neighbours,

MetroLinx is NOT listening!

At 8:30 this morning – one day before “MetroLinx’s Open House” – I was informed that MetroLinx dropped the community’s and City of Toronto’s preferred option for the Strachan – At – Grade elimination. (See the City of Toronto Staff Report: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2…file-16917.pdf).

Today, MetroLinx offers one sole solution — a bridge that will tear at the urban fabric of our community. Not only does MetroLinx’s sole “solution” force the closure of Douro Street and Wellington Street at Strachan Avenue, but it entails the erection of an ugly super structure (think another Gardiner Expressway?) smack in the middle of some of Toronto’s most vibrant, historic, and creative neighbourhoods (Niagara Neighbourhood, Liberty Village, Exhibition Place, Fort York and the Waterfront).

As your Toronto City Councillor, I am surprised and disappointed that our alternative has been unilaterally dismissed. What can you do? In the first instance, you and your neighbours can attend the Open House – TOMORROW – Wednesday, April 15, 2009 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Fort York, Blue Barracks – 100 Garrison Road. Make our voices heard!

Please use these two links for more information:

http://www.metrolinx.com/gsse/default.aspx
http://www.metrolinx.com/gsse/community/open_house.aspx.

Sincerely,
Joe Pantalone
Deputy Mayor
City of Toronto
416-392-4009

Bad News from Joe’s Office

Admin — Sat, 16 May 2009 18:45:18 +0000

Just today, I learned that the Province of Ontario does not care about what happens on Strachan Avenue. I have been hoping that reason would prevail given the only sensible solution is the City*s design and given that MetroLinx*s plan is so obviously a bad plan. However, MetroLinx and the McGuinty government do not seem to be ready to do the right thing.

I have been shocked by the Province of Ontario and MetroLinx*s disregard for Toronto but I am proud of the tenacity with which our local businesses, residents and community groups have rallied to protect our west downtown community.

If you agree with me that City of Toronto proposal is the ONLY proposal that works for our community, please send or re-send emails to:

jbradley.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
rob.macisaac@metrolinx.com
dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org