April 14, 2009, 2 e-mail

D. C. wrote:

The Toronto Cyclists Union urges you to read and take action on this message from Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone - received this morning.

Have your say at the Metrolinx Open House tomorrow - Wednesday, April 15, 2009 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Fort York, Blue Barracks - 100 Garrison Road

URGENT! Strachan Ave Super-Bridge

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; a call for the lowering of the tracks with Strachan passing over top. (See the City of Toronto Staff Report: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-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 (Ward 19) 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

Thank you,
bike union

D. A. and P. F. wrote:

Hi Everyone;

I know there is a lot going on right now, but nothing as important, and as controversial, as the proposed expansion of GO services and the proposed rail line between Union Station and Pearson Airport.

Right now we have around 50 trains per day on the line which goes past most of our front doors, taking commuters from Georgetown to downtown. With the expansion, there will be more than THREE HUNDRED per day. That will be one every six minutes.

Metrolinx, the government funded body which is overseeing this expansion, has rejected the call for making this an electric powered line, choosing to use older diesel engines instead. We consider this to be environmentally irresponsible and very backward thinking, given both the global impact of climate change and the local impact of pollution in densely populated areas of Toronto.

What can you do? First off, tell all your friends and neighbours about this significant threat to our neighbourhood, and go with them to the Metrolinx information session on Tuesday, April 21 2009 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Lithuanian House, Hall B, 1573 Bloor Street West, Toronto.

Ask the representatives from Metrolinx some tough questions:

Why are they rejecting the obvious logic of electrifying the line immediately?

Why does their Environmental Assessment not consider the impact of diesel exhaust in our neighbourhood and our children's lungs?

How will the vibration of 300+ trains per day (an increase of 500%) affect the foundations of your house?

What measures are they planning to lessen the noise of the increased number of trains?

Please, PLEASE, make sure you go to the Metrolinx information session and make sure they know that we need answers and that we aren't going to go away until the expansion respects our neighbourhood's right to health, safety and the integrity of our homes.

If we can get a large number of neighbours showing up right after work around 5:30 pm, that will let them know that we are concerned. We've had success with our collective voices with the Feather Factory and 25 Ritchie Ave Lofts, let's make sure we use them loud and strong on this most important, and permanent, development in our neighbourhood.

We've now founded a group called the Clean Train Coalition along with a number of other neighbourhood associations along the tracks from Weston right down to Liberty Village, we met for the first time last night and it felt great to have such common purpose. Please let us know if you want to get involved; we'll be posting information on the RHGS website as well.

All the best;