Rail Link to Pearson. What do you think? Yes/No.

[yatko]

http://toronto.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=to-rail20050429

Residents oppose rail line to airport
Last updated Apr 29 2005 08:53 AM EDT
CBC News

TORONTO – Weston residents are fighting a proposed rail link between Union Station and Pearson International Airport, calling the line an unnecessary development that will cut their community in half.

About 2,000 people showed up at a public meeting Thursday to hear details of the project, which is set to begin construction next year.

Many of them are unhappy with plans that would see tracks run through the middle of Weston.

Planners have sought to deal with residents' concerns by proposing two bridges that would link the two sides of Weston once the tracks bisects the community.

That's not the point, said Clive Lane, who lives on the edge of the proposed right of way.

"It's not whether it should be underground or overpasses or underpasses. It's why do we need it in the first place," said Lane.

"This is going to shake my house down."

The Weston Community Coalition says the whole project should be re-examined.

"The process is seriously flawed," said spokesperson Mike Sullivan. "The concept is seriously flawed and Weston at the end of it will be seriously harmed."

The coalition has banded together with local politicians to demand a full environmental assessment before construction starts.

The line is scheduled to be up and running by 2009.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/images/bigmap.jpg

[artsreview]

Mass transit technologies are quieter, more energy-efficient and modern than the people of Toronto perceive, because all we've seen is the TTC with its lumbering, heavy streetcars and the noisy subway. If the residents of Weston see what's available in cities like New Delhi, they'll be not just willing, but happy to accept a rail link like that through their neighbourhood.

[Carnage]

Where's weston road on that map?

I'm curious how close that line would be to where I grew up in Weston.

[MizTEcK]

definitely promote public transit over using cars, we need our environment

[remmuh]

Yes. Looks like a good plan

[careener]

Blah Blah Blah..enough with all this Nimby crap. Toronto should be embarrassed that it doesn't have a high-speed rail line between the downtown core and the airport.

[hyperion]

It's an awsome idea.

[justlooking]

It's about time. If TO wants to be a world class city, then it needs some kind of rail link from the airport to downtown.

[UrbanPoet]

we also need at least 3 more subway lines.

[15-20_God]

most major cities have a rail link from the airport to the downtown core and other transportation. Right now there is no cost effective way for travellers to get from pearson to anywhere else in the city.

[mallik]

anybody heard how long a trip would take with this proposed rail link? I assume it's a non-stop trip.

[aquariaguy]

Doesn't it cost $20 for each person? (What i read from here couple of months ago)

If thats the case, if a family of 5 goes on vacation its cheaper to take a taxi from say, markham or even downtown to the airport.

[yatko]

I don't beleive that it will cost $20 per person.
I would be very surprized if it ever cost more than 2 tokens.

[stevethewheel]

Well I feel for the residents of Weston who will get the noise. The rail link is badly needed tho.

Even if it costs $20 it is not really about moving families. It's about moving onesies or twosies just like buses.

And it's about moving faster than taxi. The company I work at has a lot of people that come and go from Pearson. It's a giant waste of productivity that they have to allow 30+ minutes for traffic uncertainty. And they are not impressed by the traffic in Toronto either....it does not make them want to move here or increase operations.

[CanadianMike]

it is a good idea, but i hope they keep the price of it in check.

[north77]

This project through the Weston neighbourhood is being fought tooth and nail by residents. I for one do not see it happening in the near future in this area mainly because the area is so built up now and there is such staunch opposition to this project.

The community already has its fair share of CN trains, overhead airplane noise and other built up traffic/industrial pollution and noise concerns. Snc-Lavalin are going to have to go back to the drawing board. :razz:

I truly hope the residents win this.

[CSR]

We need to do this.... toronto has fallen as a first class city..

[webdoctors]

this will benefit Toronto, we can't let a few residents get in the way of whats good for everyone. If this was communist China, U think these ppl's opinion would even matter?

This is badly needed due to the continued expansion of Pearson, its only gonna get busier.

[artsreview]

No matter how built-up the place is, it's technically feasible and it can operate silently and it can be completed in a very short time (nothing like the Sheppard subway). The technology exists.

It would benefit the residents greatly if there were only one or two stations between Pearson and Union and they could have one station at a location of their choice. That place is sure to become a commercial and tourist hub.