February 3, 2009, 5 e-mails

One last reminder about this very important meeting in our community

Metrolinx Consultation

Wednesday Feb 4, 11 am – 8:30 pm
Mount Dennis United Church
71 Guestville Ave (entrance on Dennis Ave)

Have you heard? Increased GO service and a new Air Rail Link are coming through our community. Additional tracks, diesel trains every 3.5 minutes (on average), road closures at Denison and John St are amongst the changes being considered.

Please join us in demanding that Metrolinx build a public transportation system that we can all ride and all be proud of.

Let's build one that is environmentally safe and accessible for future generations.

Let’s tell Metrolinx to BUILD IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!

Unable to attend ? Check out alternate dates and locations or leave your feedback online. http://metrolinx.com

Mount Dennis Community Association

c/o 71 Guestville Ave, Toronto M6N 4N4

http://www.mountdennis.ca

F. D. wrote:

20 Bay Street, Suite 901

Toronto ON M5J 2N8

Phone: 416.874.5900

Fax: 416.874.5901

http://www.metrolinx.com

The Metrolinx Virtual Open House for the Georgetown South Service Expansion and Union-Pearson Rail Link is now live. You can review project details, Open House storyboards and submit your comments to the project team. This site is accessible 24/7 for your convenience. Visit metrolinx.com for more information.

The proposed Georgetown South rail corridor expansion and new rail service between Union Station and Pearson International Airport is one of the first projects to be implemented from “The Big Move”, Metrolinx’s Regional Transportation Plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). This service expansion will make it easier to get around the region, create construction jobs, spur economic growth for businesses and communities in the GTHA, ease the social and economic burdens of traffic congestion, and reduce air pollution.

We want to get your feedback about the project proposal before issuing the formal Notice of Commencement for the Transit Environmental Assessment Process (TEAP). Please submit your comments by Monday, March 16, 2009 at 5pm EST for inclusion in the draft Environmental Project Report (EPR). Comments received after March 16th will be included in the final EPR.

Community Open House events will be open from 11 am – 8:30 p.m. The project technical team will be there to answer your individual questions.

• Tuesday, February 3, 11am – 8:30pm, The Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor St. W, Toronto, ON
• Wednesday, February 4, 11am – 8:30pm, Mount Dennis United Church, 71 Guestville Avenue, Toronto, ON
• Friday, February 6, 11am – 8:30pm, Weston Park Baptist Church, 1871 Weston Road, Toronto, ON
• Monday, February 9, 11am – 8:30pm, Direct Energy Centre - Salon 110, 100 Princes’ Blvd, Toronto, ON
• Tuesday, February 10, 11am – 8:30pm, Malton Community Centre, 3540 Morning Star Drive, Mississauga, ON
• Thursday, February 12, 11am – 8:30pm, Gordon Alcott Memorial Arena, 221 Guelph St, Georgetown, ON

We look forward to hearing from you.

L. G. wrote:

I'm sorry i haven't gotten back to you. the meeting went well, thanks to the folks at the Weston Coalition. I'm cc them to foster links between our neighbourhoods, I hope you don't mind.

There is another meeting February 9th at the CNE:

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

you may be interested in reading portions of metrolinx's document, the big move:

http://www.metrolinx.com/thebigmove/index.html

Reading it is key to understanding the failings of the proposed project. Infrastructure can be good or bad. was the Gardiner good for Toronto? THe answer is not so clear. Perhaps Parkdale would be a much better place to live in. The Spadina expressway was a bad idea, and people stopped that thankfully. We are facing the same larger picture issues with this project. THe rail corridor will be the busiest in North America, reportedly. It will promote people traveling from the Airport and Georgetown into Toronto, instead of helping people along the rail corridor move effectively within the city: what is best for Toronto: another blightful infrastructure project that destroys neighbourhoods, or another high-density, lively corridor along the lines of bloor or Yonge? These are the issues we are facing that Metrolinx is not mandated to study. They are spending taxpayers' money- they owe use a bird's eye study to determine what is best for the city.

We need to distribute as many flyers as possible in our neighbourhoods between now and the 9th. I will forward a possible poster to you shortly.

A. T. wrote:

I could not attained the meeting because same time we had PRA meeting at 20 Westlodge. I would like to know what was the outcome of the meeting and if there is any litrature please send me.

L.G. wrote:

Dear Parkdale neighbour,

The proposed rail link connecting union station to pearson is not to stop in our neighbhourhood; it's going to zoom right past west lodge every 15 minutes, however. A stop would be nice, and a tunneled link would be even better.

This is one of the many concerns raised over what is proving to be a very poorly thought out project. Please join us to further discuss the details of this fixed link on Thursday, January 29 at 7 pm, at the Parkdale Library (1303 Queen Street West). Please distribute this note and attachement as much as you see fit. We can change this project for the better, so that our communities can benefit instead of suffer.