May 29, 2009, 4 e-mails

K. M. wrote:

I appreciate the support that we have been given as citizens by the politicians. My impression is that the politicians West of the tracks have been very helpful while East of the tracks ( where I live and am a constituent) their support - including Adam Giambrone and Tony Ruprecht - has been ambivalent and wavering.

So this is a slight modification to the persons listed below as supportive

From: Mike Sullivan

Metrolinx Design Charrette

Metrolinx is planning a Design Charrette on Saturday, May 30, from 12 to 5 pm, at the Weston Park Baptist Church. We have been invited to attend. Metrolinx will use this Design Charrette to get ideas for the design of a pedestrian bridge over the tracks at John Street. Apparently, although the EA is not yet complete, Metrolinx has ruled out the possibility of keeping John Street open. Metrolinx has advised us that this charrette is co-hosted by MP Alan Tonks, MPP Laura Albanese, and Councillor Frances Nunziata, although Ms. Nunziata denies that she agreed to co-host, and is opposed to the road closure.

Strachan Avenue Bridge

Metrolinx had proposed to keep Strachan Ave open by the construction of a much less expensive but very ugly massive bridge over the tracks which would have severely restricted other roadways, and access and sightlines from other residences. After several weeks of intense public lobbying led by councillor Joe Pantalone, assisted by MPP Rosario Marchese and MP Olivia Chow, Metrolinx has agreed to redesign the bridge, to the community’s satisfaction

Pile Driving

You may have heard about it. You may have heard it. GO transit (having merged with Metrolinx), in defiance of the apparent promise in the EA to limit the noise of the pile driving to 85 decibels, has since January been driving huge steel columns into the ground using an impact pile driver, which produces 135 decibels at the source. You can hear it in Weston, several miles away. The noise is quite deafening. Children are not allowed to play outside at the nearby school, as the noise there is 95 decibels. Dogs are afraid to go for walks. Home-based businesses have been forced to close. Homeowners have reported window panes falling out, and foundation cracks. Again, after public protests, MPP Cheri Di Novo announced yesterday that GO has agreed to use noise-limiting shrouds, noise attenuation walls, and a noise attenuation coating on the pile driving device. They hope to reduce the noise by 10 db. They hope to use this equipment starting June 8. A total of 2100 piles need to be driven in, and work is expected to continue for the rest of the year.

This is important for Weston because walls will need to be constructed for the ‘ditch’ Metrolinx is planning through Weston to keep Church and King Streets open. There are completely silent methods to do this, including augered holes, and the use of a Japanese method called the ‘Gilken’ press-in pile system. We will be demanding that nothing less than the best, most silent methods be used in Weston.

Electrification

This is becoming by far the most unifying issue for the communities along the corridor. Weston will see an increase in train traffic from 50 trains per day to 330. Residents at and south of the Junction will have over 460. Metrolinx plans that all these trains will be diesel, most pulled by 3500 to 4200 HP locomotives. It will be the busiest diesel rail corridor on the planet. The air-rail-link will be diesel, probably refurbished 50 year old BUDD cars. It is touted as making Toronto ‘world class’. Of the top 100 city regions in terms of population on the planet (Toronto is number 50), only Dhaka in Bangladesh runs diesel trains between its airport and downtown. All other such links are electric.

The health risks of diesel pollution are enormous. The mortality rates for those living so near a fossil-fuel burning corridor are 17% higher. A California study showed that children’s lungs, when exposed to the pollution from such vehicles, fail to develop properly. It is reversible (by removing the children from the pollution) up to age 18. After that it is too late. Particulate matter (soot) as well as Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) will be greater than from the cars this project seeks to replace. For the Air Link it will be nearly 10 times greater pollution than from cars. Particulates have been linked to heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases. The smallest particles (1.0 micron) actually travel into the blood, carrying heavy metals into our bodies.

The Weston Community Coalition has joined with the Clean Train Coalition in demanding that this project, the biggest of the plans by Metrolinx, be electrified from the outset, including the Air Rail Link. Metrolinx recently announced a ‘study’ of electrification, and invited the Clean Train Coalition to participate. We welcome a study, but want it to be able to change this project, to change the air-rail-link, and to be binding on the province. But Metrolinx officials refuse to consider electrification in the Environmental Assessment.

Final Open Houses

Metrolinx today announced the final round of open houses in the current Environmental Assessment.

The Schedule is:

We urge all of you to attend, to bring friends, neighbours and family, and to demand that this line be electrified from the outset.

Mike Sullivan

Chair

Weston Community Coalition

T. A. wrote:

I think the noise pollution just moved up in the last 20 minutes to 120dB!!! The rackette is unbearable. Our home is not even that close to the tracks and my water glass started moving across my partners desk from the vibrations. The incident was most disturbing and upsetting when my dog, who's canine hearing is far more acute and sensitive then my own started frantically barking outside to come in and is now pacing around my feet with his tail between his legs (unusual behaviour). Do they make Yellow industrial ear-muffs for pets and by infant baby? I wonder how GO has the audacity to even persist. It makes me sick and it's spoiling my Friday.

I work from home full-time because like many major corporations, my company decided to shut down it's expensive Toronto office and force it's staff to work from home. Most people would be over-the-moon to work-from-home. I guess they don't live within a 15Km radius of the Junction Diamond. As such, I get the joy of hearing this garbage (even as it moves further away) on a full-time basis. I find it interesting that the City of Toronto valued our humble home at over $1Million dollars in their recent 2009 tax assessment (clearly an outrageous figure) but failed to acknowledge our apparent proximity to the rails or this disturbing noise pollution that GO has enforced upon our simple lives.

It was recommended we share our stories on a daily basis; typing is faster then writing in a journal. There's my story for a Friday afternoon in May.

BTW - thank you Glenn for eloquently and intelligently describing the so-called (minimal) improvement we can anticipate after June 8th. It is warmly welcomed that so many are doing the research and representing us to GO. We can only hope that the next 6-months see the improvements we've been robbed of for the last 5 months (or is it more?)...

From: Metrolinx Info

20 Bay Street, Suite 901

Toronto ON M5J 2N8

Phone: 416.874.5900

Fax: 416.874.5901

http://www.metrolinx.com

Metrolinx is pleased to share Part II of the draft Environmental Project Report and the schedule for the June Community Open Houses, which are now posted.

As you know, Metrolinx issued a Notice of Commencement for the Georgetown South Service Expansion, including a Union-Pearson Rail Link (GSSE/UPRL), on April 2, 2009.

This marked the beginning of 120-day consultation period for the GSSE/UPRL Project.

During this period, Metrolinx is:

1. Releasing the draft Environmental Project Report (EPR) in two parts

Part II of the draft EPR is now posted. In addition to the information from Part I already available, it now includes:

• An outline of the impacts of the preferred project on the natural and built environments, economy and society and their interrelationships
• A description of the proposed mitigation option and how the effectiveness of those measures will be checked.

2. Hosting Community Open Houses

In June 2009, Metrolinx will host the next series of Community Open Houses. This series will outline the environmental impacts of the preferred project, describe potential mitigation measures, and identify how the effectiveness of those measures will be checked. Local residents are encouraged to drop in, view the materials on display, and speak to the technical team to learn more.

We look forward to the continued community input. Our ongoing public consultations over the last few months have been a constant reminder that we are not just building an improved, diversified transit system for the communities of the GTHA – we are building a better system with your help.