Metrolinx and Railpath - A West Toronto Transit Saga
Rail expansion in the Junction corridor, to allow for two-way train travel from Toronto to Brampton and Georgetown, is a really long and noisy process. And it's not expected to be done until the end of the year.
It's almost as if the pile driving in the corridor has been a sneaky way to get west Toronto residents worrying about short-term issues with the Metrolinx Georgetown and Union-Pearson projects, rather than long-term ones. It's certainly hard not to focus on the immediate, when the incessant reverberations coming from the construction site create noise that is 32 times the safe level for human ears. Perhaps they're trying to pound the neighbourhood into submission.
Thankfully, a number of residents' associations, environmental organizations, concerned citizens, and others have formed a broad coalition to address both the short and long-term problems surrounding the plan and continue to press for alternative construction methods, more stations, and electric trains.
At the same time, there's also a cycling/pedestrian railpath being constructed, running along side the tracks between Dupont (at Dundas) and Strachan (just south of King).
I took a stroll along the portion of the railpath route currently under construction (phase 1, in green) and things are well underway, with increased landscaping and bicycle posts installed by the GO station at Dundas and Bloor.
However, there are legitimate concerns about whether the bicycle/pedestrian corridor will be able to continue south of Dundas. Friends of the West Toronto Railpath and many others are working hard to ensure that the railpath will be accommodated, which is very important to many cyclists.
So let's assume for a moment, no matter how naively optimistic, that the railpath project is able to continue down to Strachan and beyond. I see it now - a crisp spring morning, turning onto the trail at Dundas and Dupont and beginning my commute downtown. But wait, what is that noise? That's right, I share this space with the 300+ diesel trains that move through the west Toronto corridor every day. But it's not just the noise. Each morning I arrive at work with more particulate matter accumulating in my lungs and liver and kidneys from the trains that spew diesel fumes.
Roll your eyes if you must, but this scenario is very real. Despite GO Transit's recent announcement that it will 'study' the electrification of its system, there are no plans to implement electric trains at the outset for this expansion. The logic of building a diesel line and then converting it to electric in fifteen years is lost on me. The diesel monstrosity is going ahead unless residents and local organizations continue to mount resistance against Metrolinx.
There have been more Metrolinx open houses conducted this month, but keep in mind that it is hard to engage in any 'real' dialogue at these events, which appear to be more of a PR exercise than anything else. Keep fighting - lobby the government, organize locally, and plan for direct action if necessary. My guess is that it will be.
Written by guest contributor Hayley Goodchild.
Pile driver photos by Claire Goodchild.
Railpath photo by Photosapience.
Video from videofilmik on YouTube.
Comments (23)
We used to live in the Junction about three blocks from the pile driving site... we have since moved to Queen/Roncesvalles and we could still hear the clanking (faintly)... the other day I drove by the site and noticed they have added the 'skirts' to the pile drivers. Has this had any effect?
Some people work nights. Some people have businesses in the area. Some people are trying to study for an exam in the area. It's not as simple as "suck it up, it;s during the day."
Some people work nights. Some people have businesses in the area. Some people are trying to study for an exam in the area. It's not as simple as "suck it up, it;s during the day."
Assuming it'll be possible to electrify the line in the future, the logic of trying to stall this project based on fears of diesel fumes is lost on me.
Diesel trains are better than diesel buses and gasoline-powered cars. And it's a fairly safe bet that we're heading towards local electrification anyway, if oil prices rise like many think they will. Let's just get the track built while there's momentum.
I should add that I live a stone's throw from the line and hear every train that goes by.
So how much noise can a mega-infrastructure construction project make? Especially one that the public has been clamouring for?
So, train-related construction in the junction...
What else are they supposed to do? Anyway, even if they decided today to switch to electric it would be years before they build anything given all the planning, and then a couple years more of construction. I don't see why they should wait to do the track work.
"Some people work nights. Some people have businesses in the area. Some people are trying to study for an exam in the area...."
And some people will complain about anything. Progress isn't a quiet thing - and while I don't doubt the noise is infuriating, this is a very necessary project. Desipte the tone of the pro-bicycle movement, Toronto's transportation problems cannot be solved by bicycle paths alone.
If you didn't want to live in a polluted area, then you shouldn't have moved to the Junction in the first place. It's not like it's a shocking development that there are high traffic train lines in the area. The triangular shape of the area should have been a frigging clue. Also the project is going to reduce pollution for the city - why should the residents of the Junction have priority over people living near the 427 and Gardiner?
The whining about construction noise is insane. All construction makes noise - ask anyone who has had their neighbours renovate. It's worse if you live next to a highrise condo going up, as so many of us do. Governments need to grow spines and tell the NIMBYs to STFU.
Electrification is also highly questionable, depending on how it's generated. Why a critical transit and environmental benefit should be delayed for years and have a massive increase in cost for people living in an area renowned for its pollution boggles the mind.
Time to expropriate the residences of protesters and pressure group members. They'll never be happy, so get them out of the area and require them to NEVER move back to the city.
Yea, electric is great, that way someone living far away near a power plant gets to suck the fumes (irradiate their nuts, whatever) instead of people living near the tracks.
There are actually electric hybrid diesel locomotives on the market now, mostly for switching yards (they are much more beneficial with stops and starts, just like hybrid cars), but maybe transit stops and starts are frequent enough to make it worthwhile. And that requires no system of poles, wires, and power supplies to work. And you can easily phase them in one at a time as the old fleet is retired.
Diesel-electric locomotives are nothing like hybrid cars, actually, and they are already in widespread (near-universal) use.
They use the diesel motor to generate power for driving the wheels. Not a battery system like a Prius.
Oileanach, sorry, I didn't see that you were referring that that switching train. That is on the market already? I thought it was a prototype.
Apology accepted ;-)
See here: http://www.railpower.com/products_hl_ggseries.html
I believe they have had a few trial sales, but haven't been monitoring their success in a couple of years. The web site still being up is a positive sign I guess!
I absolutely roll my eyes. A railpath beside a railway line was dumb from the start, especially one which was always bound to have more traffic on it in a sustainable transportation regime.
However, wait until someone takes a particulate meter into the subway and measures brake dust...
For these authors and their fellow whining Junction residents, one acronym says it all: "NIMBY."
People all over the city deal with construction noise and pollution. These folks bought a place next to train tracks. Did they think the tracks were going to stay unchanged forever? That there would never be a need for more rail in Toronto?
Good on GO Transit and Metrolinx for continuing to push forward on with this project despite the constant whining of this local group. There is a silent majority of 3 million Torontonians cheering on the completion of this project, pile driving be damned.
Reality Check on
"If you didn't want to live in a polluted area, then you shouldn't have moved to the Junction in the first place"
I don't even know how to start responding to such ignorant comments. First off, you're claiming that socio-economic status is something that we can go to loblaws and buy and if it doesn't work, well we can always return it. The area has been historically a working class area of immigrants with limited income and job possibilities. To state that they should just get up and move is insulting. Let me you remind you that most have given their lives for a new life in Toronto and the junction has seen an influx for many years and will continue to do so. so your comment about getting up and moving is as ignorant as the next statement:
"Governments need to grow spines and tell the NIMBYs to STFU. "
the residents of the area are not asking to stop and scrap the project. most have been looking for an alternative to the constant pile driving that disrupts the area.
"Time to expropriate the residences of protesters and pressure group members. They'll never be happy, so get them out of the area and require them to NEVER move back to the city."
so i guess we can apply this to cyclist and any community group that challenges any institution in the city?
and finally to tdg who compliments the filth:
"Good on GO Transit and Metrolinx for continuing to push forward on with this project despite the constant whining of this local group. There is a silent majority of 3 million Torontonians cheering on the completion of this project, pile driving be damned."
I never knew Toronto wanted the 300+ diesel trains that will spew toxic pollutants in the air which will effect every resident in the area.If Torontonians are cheering for our death, then perhaps I'll be leaving the junction, Toronto and Canada.
A railpath next to a railway is actually a brilliant idea. It's one of the last bits of unused space so 1) it's better than no path at all. 2) People using it will spend a short period of time on it - much less than people in houses nearby. 3) Even though it's rusting industrial area there is still some greenery.
Vancouver had constant pile driving noise for a very, very long time while building the new convention centre. Even worse, it was amplified by the condos surrounding it. Still people lived through it and it ended. Yes it sucks, but well, sometimes it just needs to be done.
"Time to expropriate the residences of protesters and pressure group members. They'll never be happy, so get them out of the area and require them to NEVER move back to the city."
Too late. They stopped the Spadina in 1971. It ain't never coming back.
Wah wah diesel fumes. Wah wah brake dust. Wah wah noise. Folks unfortunately we don't have a magic carpet transit system option that runs silently on pixie dust and sunbeams. And if we did, you'd complain it was too expensive to build, and a waste of taxpayer money. Stop crying already.
Reality Check> good name I hope you apply it as it is clear from your post you don't know much about the....
..history of the area: rail traffic has been in decline for the last 50 years in the corridor thats how Railpath got built using abandoned lines
...pollution which in fact will not be reduced at all with diesel trains and in fact diesel fumes are much more toxic than regular traffic fumes something that is widely accepted. And these fumes will remain in the ground long after electrification happens. To call this an "environmental benefit" is ignorant.
...on priority ...Earth to Reality Check, there is nobody against increased traffic on the lines that I am aware of, the issue is pollution from one style of propulsion.
...On the science of electrification it is clear you don't know any details about what is actually involved this process and why everybody in the world is going electric for commuter train transit. If electricity is questionable (whatever that means) then I hope you ponder every time you turn on your computer or TV or lightswitch.
...electrification is doable now, Metrolinx has studied and studied it and electric lines ae being built right now elsewhere in Canada. Sorry, there is no technical reason not to go clean now.
I hope that you take the time to actually read some of the information that has been produced on this topic so your reality will at least be better informed. Then work on your hatred of fellow citizens.
What an idiot you are sir.
Have you even been to the area, I would guess not.
The issue isn't only noise although working night shifts and trying to sleep from 10:00am has been almost impossible.
The real issue for those who live right next to the rail link is vibration,yes I realised the noise of the trains may be an issue before I bought a property but the vibration of the pile drivers is actually cracking the walls in and outside my house.
On this issue does anyone know of any lawyers that are dealing with this independently as the only people I seem to be able to contact work for the transit authority?
Getting back to mr/s ignoramus,the pollution levels of the increased number of trains are highly unacceptable and if you think people will get out of their cars and get on the train you are very much mistaken
If I could I would like to come to your home with a team of Navvies bound with heavy sledge hammers,pound rythmically on the in and outside of your four walls until crack appear only with the promise of carbon monoxide particles to fill you and your family members lungs.
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