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Traffic on Dufferin Street in Toronto's west end has never had an easy time of making the trip between Bloor Street and Exhibition Place. Vehicles, including TTC Buses, have long been rerouted via Queen, Gladstone and Peel around the missing gap of Dufferin Street where the rail tracks slice through the area. Dufferin's 'jog' has been nothing but a slowdown, especially reducing travel along Queen Street in this area to a crawl.
Locals have been looking forward to the eliminated gap ever since the go-ahead on this project a couple of years ago. Now comes word that Metrolinx, the transit authority which oversees GO Transit, has asked for an additional track to be built across the top of the roads as it prepares for increased service on the line. It is suggested that a two-month extension of work now would allow the work to be completed before the end of the year, but this would push the opening until after the sitting City Councillor for the area, Adam Giambrone, will have departed from his post, post-election. Consequently it seems that a decision has been made not to widen the bridges for the new track now, but to open the bridge as is before the election, and then to close it again next summer for a further six months to take care of the track expansion then. Should locals have to put up with more disruption next year to present a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a sitting politician now? We suggest that work carry on now, and that Mr. Giambrone be invited to a ribbon cutting after the election this year, when the locals will celebrate a completed project, as opposed to a ribbon-cutting before the election, before an unhappy crowd that knows it will have to put up with disruptions again next year.
UrbanToronto member androiduk captured this image of the new rail bridge over Dufferin Street. Light can now been seen under the bridge, as temporary supports that were needed to maintain rail traffic during the earlier construction phases have now been removed.
