Hello Neighbours,
Our Community Advisory Committee (CAC) met with Metrolinx on Wed., Nov. 27th to get an update on the Regional Express Rail (RER) and Ontario Line (OL) projects. Notes from that meeting are provided further below in this email.
It has been suggested that we organize a community meeting to answer questions and determine how to best organize our community to challenge Mx before construction begins, because these two projects are guaranteed to have a significant impact on our community. We have little more than a year before construction begins on the rail corridor, and we will need an energized and involved neighbourhood strategy if we want to be successful in protecting our homes, parks and community.
Our local CAC has had some success in getting our issues picked up by the media, but we will need to create a larger, robust Riverside/Leslieville neighbourhood coalition of businesses and community groups if we want to be successful in having the Ontario Line built underground.
We have booked a meeting room for this purpose - details are below. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!
RER & OL COMMUNITY MEETING:
December 9, 6:30-9pm
Ralph Thornton Community Centre (RTCC)
Mezzanine Level
NOTES FROM THE CAC/METROLINX MEETING ON NOV. 27:
The timeline provided by Metrolinx is attached.
- Construction for Regional Express Rail (RER), is now called "Go [sic] Expansion," by Metrolinx, it is the addition of a 4th electrified track within the existing Go corridor, and will begin early spring in 2021 with track bed preparation along the entire LSE Go [sic] Corridor. This means our trees and vegetation will be removed inside and in proximity to the rail corridor; the rail tracks will be bare until the foreseeable end of the RER/OL rail projects - no dates are given, we're assuming considerably after 2030. The noise walls that were planned along Jimmie Simpson park for Phase 3 of RER, are now a question due to the Ontario Line (OL). Any construction along the corridor will happen after the trains have stopped running, from 1am to 5am. Note: There is some confusion from our meeting that our section of track may not be involved in Phase one track bed clearing, and I am seeking further clarification and timing from Mx on this.
- RER & Ontario Line projects will be combined east of Pape: Mx is planning to now divide the RER project into two rail projects. The main RER project will be located on the tracks running east of Pape to Stouffville. The new second project will be designed and built as one project (RER and OL combined) running south of Pape to Union Stn. We have no real timeline for that, but Ford has stated in the press that he wants it tendered out by 2021. I put this question to the Mx team and they said that that date was very "ambitious." Note that Ford wants this ready to be built before the next election in 2022 and is pushing timelines ahead in the press for those reasons.
- No TPAP (Transit Project Assessment Process) for the Ontario Line. This is terrible loss for us and for the City. The Province has removed their own provincial Environmental Assessment (EA) requirements to be able to make project decisions faster. What this means is that they are interpreting the Ontario Line project a 'change' or an 'addendum,' to the original RER TPAP, NOT an entirely new rail project that requires reassessment, which it obviously does. The implications for us are that no studies or real environmental consultations around noise levels for combined 6 tracks, or the necessary air quality and environmental studies, will be required. Mx will simply will 'piggy-back' this new rail project onto the existing study that was completed for RER. Here are some links to the Provincial TPAP Process, and the RER Environmental Project Report, and the Guide to TPAP, if you want more details about this.
Environmental Assessment Requirements
Environmental Project Report for RER
Guide to TPAP
Please note that the final Environmental Assessment Report for RER and the Arborist Report are supposed to be released in the first quarter of 2020. We have requested another meeting to review the findings in these studies with Mx in the new year.
OTHER BUSINESS
- We are also trying to find a couple of legal resources to consult with us: A legal expert who deals with the provincial Expropriations Act, and a lawyer with expertise on the Environmental Assessment Act and dealing with the Province - to help advise us as Metrolinx moves forward with an 'Addendum' to the TPAP for the Ontario Line. Any leads appreciated.
- Don't forget about the Metrolinx Townhall on Dec. 5th. Ryour [sic] questions on the website before the meeting to get an answer. Townhall Dec 5
canada.constructconnect.com
