All Leasiders have been affected by the lengthy and disruptive construction of the Crosstown LRT. For some of us, it’s only an aggravating inconvenience if you’re trying to cross Eglinton Ave., especially at the Bayview Ave. intersection, which is a real blight on the landscape. For many, LRT construction has brought unwanted and significant increases of through-traffic onto Leaside’s residential streets.
The Leasiders who are most affected are those living on, or very near, the actual construction route. They not only have to deal with the noise and lengthy hours of digging, they also have to contend with the constant heavy truck activity. Quite a number are discovering cracks and other damage to their homes. The LPOA has been contacted by several home owners, asking if Metrolinx can be held liable for damage to their properties. We have been told that one condo building has actually hired a lawyer to pursue compensation.
What IS Metrolinx’s liability in these cases? Given the size of the Crosstown project, does Metrolinx have a compensation policy? Does a property owner have any recourse to cover the cost of repairs?
Do you live along the LRT construction route, and has your home been affected? The LPOA wants to hear from you, so that we can pursue answers. Please contact us at our website, lpoa.ca.
Since our presentation of the LPOA’s Traffic Calming Plan at our Annual General Meeting in December, we’ve had very helpful feedback from people who attended that meeting. Many have also visited our website to look at the PowerPoint presentation and maps presented there. I encourage you to do so too, if you haven’t already.
We encourage more Leasiders to participate, helping build consensus on these proposals. We continue to move forward step by step, but your participation is vital to convince the City that Leasiders are serious in wanting solutions. One way is to hold a number of small informal gatherings over the next two or three months, perhaps by geographic area or specific topic, on convenient days or evenings.
We could meet at Trace Manes, the Leaside Library, or a local coffee shop, depending on how many people register.
Would you be interested in getting together on, say, a Saturday or Sunday late afternoon for an hour or so of conversation and brainstorming? Think of these as pop-up advocacy sessions! Your comments, questions and suggestions can help ensure a plan which represents an informed consensus. Please let me know! You can reach me through lpoa.ca, or via Leaside Life.
Our next monthly LPOA board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH at 7:30 p.m., in the Trace Manes building. Do you need Committee of Adjustment advice or information about local matters? Do you have opinions on municipal issues you’d like to share? Maybe you just want to hear more about what’s happening in our community? These board meetings are always open to the public. We invite you to attend.
