nfitz
Superstar
It will provide a great canvas for urban art!Anything useful to say about the noise walls?
It will provide a great canvas for urban art!Anything useful to say about the noise walls?
Post of the month.
Anything useful to say about the noise walls?
Here is a brief history of the community opposition I wrote a while ago.....the bolded part explains the stop at Weston.How did they even decide on a stop in Weston? It makes the trip longer and there's no businesses or attractions of interest around there.
My problem with the opposition from the Weston community has always been the moving target approach to this. It really has given me the impression that this is all just an attempt to block progress.
Initially they were not complaining that it was diesel...it was all about the "cutting their community in half" because 3 roads were not going to cross the tracks. Then when the compromise was reached (having two roads cross and the third becoming a pedestrian crossing) that argument lost its legs.
then it was all about how this did not serve their community....about how they were being asked to bear the brunt of this service (as if these trains do not pass through any other communities) and how, at least, the trains should serve them. So another compromise is reached by having the trains stop in/at Weston.....so that "argument" lost steam.
It was only then that the whole notion of how awful these diesel trains are and how this line should be electrified before service is introduced came up.
It leaves you wondering, really, what would happen if tomorrow somone wrote a cheque to have it electrified. The cyinic in me thinks there would be another blocking "cause" arising.
Here is a brief history of the community opposition I wrote a while ago.....the bolded part explains the stop at Weston.
I know why they did this, but I still think this was a rotten deal for Metrolinx. There are other ways to get NIMBYs to shut up then to give them a station that will hardly be used and only cut into the efficiency and viability of an express rail link. That stop alone will probably add 4 or 5 minutes to a one way trip.
Weston's stop is a waste of money as would be an Eglinton.
Who is going to spend minimum $20 to take a rail line to Pearson when they are already at Eglinton and Jane?. From that location a regular bus to Pearson along Eglinton would be just as fast without the pain in the ass of a transfer with all your luggage.
I happen to agree about people living beside existing corridors.
I have very limited empathy for people who decide to live near highways/airports/railways etc and then complain about the noise. If they didn't like it they shouldn't have moved there is my belief but this really is different.
Due to Toronto being nearly the only city on the planet with a diesel train to the airport and Georgetown about to have a huge increase in frequency then their concerns are valid. The noise would be a pain but they choose to live there so I say suck it up.
The pollution, however, is a different matter. In rush hour this corridor will have up to one diesel train rolling by every 4 minutes. Georgetown will become the world's busiest diesel corridor and the health concerns are real.
This is just GO and UP and doesn't include VIA or any potential diesel freight. That is a LOT of diesel pollution and I don't blame them for being mad. This is made even worse by the fact that the UP is completely useless to them due to it's ridiculous prices.........it's a rail connection but under no stretch of the imagination is it public transit.
There is such a thing as "reasonable accomodation" and I for one get very tired of NIMBYs but I draw the line when their concerns go from incomvience, unsightly, unattractive, stressful, house values, sense of community, too much noise etc into one that has real adverse health effects. Legitimate concerns about health is NOT NIMBYism and with this now becoming the busiest diesel rail corridor on the planet their concerns are valid.
If someone moves to an light industrial area then they know what they are getting but that doesn't mean they aren't right to protest when someone decides to build a add a pulp mill.
False.Due to Toronto being nearly the only city on the planet with a diesel train to the airport.
False.Georgetown will become the world's busiest diesel corridor
False.and the health concerns are real.
^ The health concerns are probably real.
UPE might cause a net reduction in pollution (due to avoided taxi and bus trips), but will increase the local pollution. By how much, is another question.