Year in Review: Transportation.
The announcement of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in 2009 means the addition of multiple stops within the former City of York is one step closer.
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Plans calling for some 400 diesel trains to pass through various city neighbourhoods, including York, had many residents rattled this year.
The Metrolinx project, which would see a rail link between Union Station and Pearson Airport as well as expansion of the Georgetown South GO Service, had residents seeing red over negative health, noise and quality of life impacts.
York South-Weston Councillor Frances Nunziata voiced disappointment
that John Street will be closed to vehicular traffic as part of the
Georgetown South Service expansion and Union-Pearson rail link plan,
despite opposition from the city and Weston residents.
Nunziata
said residents were asked to collaborate on visions for the proposed
John Street pedestrian bridge at a John Street charette held by
Metrolinx in May, noting suggestions were made how to keep the road
open.
The Metrolinx project will see an increase of 49 to 464 trains a day on the lower half of the corridor by 2031.
While
the trains will initially run on diesel fuel, Metrolinx has said it's
looking into electrification for the entire system, which will take at
least 15 years for conversion.
Project construction could begin at the end of the year with a target completion date of 2013.
Also making news in the community was the unveiling of the 33-kilometre Eglinton Light Rail Transit (LRT) route will run along Eglinton Avenue from Kennedy subway station to Martin Grove Road to Pearson Airport. The Eglinton LRT would link to the Yonge subway line at Eglinton station and the Spadina subway line at Eglinton West station. Connections will also be provided to the proposed Don Mills LRT, Jane Street LRT and Scarborough-Malvern LRT lines.
The Eglinton LRT will operate at surface in the centre of the road between Martin Grove Road and Jane Street and Leslie Street and Kennedy Road. For the section between Jane and Keele streets, further study is required to determine whether the LRT will be underground, at surface or elevated, as Eglinton Avenue is not sufficient to accommodate the LRT line and maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction.
An above-ground route will also save around $100 million.
Finally, the return of streetcar service along St. Clair Avenue was an early Christmas present to York residents.
Four years after construction began on the St. Clair Avenue right-of-way, the much anticipated street car service resumed between Bathurst Street and Lansdowne Avenue.
The service was up and running Sunday, Dec. 20 but the final stretch between Lansdowne Avenue and Keele Street won't be ready until spring 2010.
Construction for the 6.7 kilometre right-of-way started in 2005 and the first phase between Yonge and Bathurst streets opened in 2007.
But the rest of the project was delayed due to court challenges by community members upset with the proposal, water main work and placement of underground hydro wires.