From Inside Toronto:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/659081--lrv-maintenance-site-causing-concern
LRV maintenance site causing concern
Councillor Fletcher thinks TTC not taking community into account
A local councillor said she's getting "pretty cranky" about what she feels is the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) lack of communication and inflexibility when it comes to a proposed streetcar storage and maintenance facility in her ward.
Toronto-Danforth's Paula Fletcher is referring to the yet-to-be-built $345-million Ashbridges Bay light rail vehicle (LRV) facility at the southeast corner of Lake Shore Boulevard East and Leslie Street.
"I'm not sure (the TTC) is taking our community's goals and aspirations into account," said the Ward 30 representative.
"I want to have real conversations about minimizing the impacts."
In a letter to the Toronto Transit Commission's General Manager Gary Webster and its Chair Adam Giambrone, Fletcher clearly outlined her various concerns, which include "extreme" noise and the lowering of property values around the facility and the connecting route to Queen Street East.
Fletcher said during a phone interview she feels the TTC hasn't fully considered the implications of its plan to route streetcars on Leslie Street from Queen Street East to the new facility and back.
"I want them to look at something that does not run up such a busy street. The TTC has seriously underestimated the number of residents and the level of traffic on Leslie Street with the businesses," she said.
Alternatively, the councillor said she'd like the streetcar route to the facility to cut through 'employment areas' east of Leslie Street near the TTC's Connaught Yard.
"I don't know why that route wasn't seriously considered."
Fletcher also expressed her unease with the physical impacts of the facility on esthetics of the Leslie-Lake Shore Boulevard area.
"I'm quite concerned as well that the design they have and the number of cars they have on that site will seriously compromise Leslie Street as a gateway to the waterfront," she said, adding the TTC has removed any plans to 'green' that area.
Noting that residents both young and old would benefit from the city's 204 new low-floor streetcars, Fletcher underlined the community must be consulted before any decisions are made pertaining to the local LRV facility and streetcar route to reach it.
"While we are in love with improved transit, we would really like a good healthy respect from the TTC. This is a very knowledgeable, active and educated community," she said.
Earlier this month, nearly 200 Leslieville residents packed a local church hall to talk about their concerns pertaining to the proposed TTC facility and to discuss the formation of the new Leslieville Residents Association (LRA).
Like their local councillor, Leslieville residents support the strengthening of public transit.
"This is not about not-in-my-backyard, it's about look-in-my-backyard. I think everybody (in Leslieville) is pro-TTC. We are all transit users," said longtime area resident Nancy Hawley, the LRA's interim chair.
"We need to have a proper policy dialogue and public dialogue on this."
A public consultation on the proposed route for streetcars travelling from Queen Street East to the yet-to-be-built Ashbridges Bay light rail vehicle (LRV) maintenance and storage facility is set to take place on Thursday, April 8 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the EMS Academy, 895 Eastern Ave. All are welcome to attend.
Call Lito Romano at 416-397-8699, email
lito.romano@ttc.ca, or visit
www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/lrv/ for more information about the project.
The TTC did not return The Mirror's request for comment.
Looking at Bing Maps, the area is surrounded by industrial, and commercial land. How will the carhouse lower property values, especially when Leslieville already has a carhouse in their community?
