Leasiders hoping for information about the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, finally, will have noticed, with all the public hoopla from the Premier, on down, that The Big Announcement, when it came, was long on publicity but short on facts. Specifically, dates.
Along with the media response (“Promises, promises”) many questions remain. How much testing of the light rapid system will take place before it is actually open for passengers? How many passengers will it be able to carry in peak periods? At what speed will it travel? And not least, I cannot resist adding, will the stations’ elevators and escalators be functioning? Will the public announcement system be both audible and ungarbled?
Once fully in service, how much data will consistently be collected and available to measure the impacts of the new line on communities like Leaside? What changes will we notice on the volume of flow-through traffic still using both our residential and arterial streets? On parking pressures and patterns? On the amount of surface (bus) transit still available (or not) all along the LRT route?
Knowing the answers city-wide will have local applications. They will provide critically valuable information to be factored into the design of the city’s Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan, also long awaited, as the LNTP team contemplates designing its Phase Two.
The Leaside Residents Association has been involved since the early days of both the LRT and the LNTP, and we look forward to finally moving forward.
Rerouting the 88 bus route
The Leaside Residents Association contacted Councillor Chernos Lin’s office in early June to see if they have heard further information on a TTC decision about rerouting the 88 bus during the 18-to-24-month closure of Beth Nealson Drive for work related to the Ontario Line. One option, proposed by Thorncliffe Park’s Jason Ash and me, offered better area coverage and passenger convenience, and did not sever Leaside from Thorncliffe. The TTC chair agreed that it would be seriously considered. When I have any news, I will pass it on to you, I hope in my next column.
Come out to our board meetings
You are always welcome to attend our monthly LRA board meetings. Normally, they take place at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month in the Trace Manes building at Rumsey and Millwood. We have had to reschedule our July meeting, however, as Trace Manes is fully booked on Wednesdays during July for summer camp activities.
Please note that the July 3rd LRA board meeting has been cancelled.
