May 25, 2009, 2 e-mail

C. V. wrote:

Member Motion
City Council
NOTICE OF MOTION
MM36.1 ACTION
Ward: 11, 13, 14, 17, 18

Support for West Toronto Residents – Excessive Noise from the Railto- Rail Diamond Grade Separation Project - Councillor Palacio, seconded by Councillor Nunziata

• Notice of this Motion has been given.
• This Motion is subject to referral to the Executive Committee. A two-thirds vote is required to waive referral.

Recommendations: Councillor Palacio, seconded by Councillor Nunziata, recommends:

1. That City Council express its support for the residents affected by the excessive vibration and noise emanating from the Rail-to-Rail Diamond Grade Separation Project.
2. That the City Solicitor provide legal support to the residents in their complaint,

mediation, and other related matters before the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).

Summary
Thousands of residents in Wards 17, 11, 14, 18 and 13 have been suffering a dramatic reduction in their comfort and quality of life as a result of excessive pile-driving taking place as part of GO Transit’s Rail-to-Rail Diamond Grade Separation Project, near Dupont Street and Dundas Street West.

Pile-driving on this scale completely undermines the livability of the neighbourhood and can be heard from many hundreds of metres away. The pile-driving is constant, all day, every day, and the project is not expected to be completed until December 2011. Other, quieter technologies exist to drive piles but are not being utilized.

A coalition of residents’ organizations has requested mediation and may initiate a formal complaint to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), the Federal agency that regulates railway noise and vibration in Canada, asking for quieter, more reasonable methods of pile driving to be used. (Submitted to City Council on May 25, 2009 as MM36.1)

From: Karen Williams

Hi Everyone, The West Diamond Leaders (representing both east and west of the tracks) is looking for letters of support from agencies, neighbourhood groups, and other organizations that can write an official letter of support to the formal complaint being made to the CTA. This documentation, demonstrating that the concern about the health (both physical and mental) effects and the housing, property, children's play and programming, loss of income etc. effects, would strengthen our complaint. If you represent a group, or can contact someone who does represent a group, a letter of support that outlines the impact, the effects on people's lives, the steps they have had to take to limit the negative effects, and the costs they have experienced would be a VERY HELPFUL addition. This complaint concerns only the pile drivers at this point but will have farther reaching consequences for future construction.

Please send this on to your networks that represent residents who live within the radius of the effects of both noise and vibration.

If you are able to write a supporting letter, you can email it to karenwilliams.dpcm@gmail.com or fax it to (416) 656-1264 Attn: Karen Williams.