Expansion to benefit travellers across the GTHA - and visitors to Ontario
TORONTO, Jan. 21 /CNW/ - Metrolinx today, announced a revised proposal to expand service for travellers on the Georgetown GO Line to Etobicoke, Bramalea, Brampton, Georgetown, and to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport. This starts a new phase of the proposed project as we consider input before formally starting the Transit Environmental Assessment Process.
"We want to hear from communities along the corridor. Listening to the public will be fundamental to the success of this very important transportation project," said Rob MacIsaac, Chair of Metrolinx.
Metrolinx intends to consult with the public for three to four months before formulating and submitting a final project proposal. There will be four months of additional time for the public to comment during the formal environmental assessment process.
The Georgetown South Service Expansion and Union Pearson rail link will require 28 km of new track and other improvements to deliver important new services, such as:
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- Two-way, all-day GO service between Toronto and Georgetown
- Two-way, all-day GO service between Toronto and Bradford
- All-day express GO service between Toronto and Brampton
- New peak period GO service between Toronto and Bolton
- New peak period GO service between Toronto and Guelph, and
- Introducing a passenger rail service from Pearson to Union Station
using the Georgetown line.
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"Addressing the limited rail capacity in the Georgetown South corridor permits expansion of GO services," said GO Transit Board Chairman Peter Smith. "This proposed project will lay the foundation for future further enhancements".
All interested parties will have a variety of opportunities to get involved. Open houses in February will be one part of Metrolinx's commitment to ongoing community consultation. For more information, please visit www.metrolinx.com, call 1-866-658-9890, or email info@metrolinx.com.
The Georgetown expansion is part of the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO TRIP (www.gotransit.com/gotrip/index.asp)) a $1 billion-dollar expansion initiative funded by the federal and provincial governments and local municipalities through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund. The Union-Pearson link component of the project will be financed and operated by a private sector operator.
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Province of Ontario. For more information visit our website www.metrolinx.com.
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BACKGROUNDER
Georgetown South Expansion and Union-Pearson Rail Link
WHAT IS THIS PROPOSED PROJECT ABOUT?
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The proposed Georgetown South rail corridor expansion and new rail service between Union Station and Pearson International Airport is one of the first big moves to be implemented from the new Regional Transportation Plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).
It will make it easier to get around the region, create construction jobs, spur economic growth for businesses and communities in the GTHA, ease the social and economic burdens of traffic congestion, and reduce air pollution.
WHY IS THIS PROJECT SO IMPORTANT?
GO trains on the Georgetown South corridor are operating at capacity. The new tracks and other improvements will allow for more GO train service to meet the demands of residents, businesses, travellers and visitors to our region.
We need more frequent rail service to help give people more travel options and reduce congestion:
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- Currently the cost of congestion in GTHA amounts to an astounding
$6.0 billion a year.
- The impact of excess congestion costs travellers $18 M per day stuck
in traffic and accidents cost society $1.0 M per day.
We need a world-class rail service to Canada's largest airport: Every year
five million people travel between Pearson International Airport and downtown
Toronto. By 2020, that number is expected to increase to approximately nine
million. The airport rail service is expected to take 1.2 million car trips a
year off our roads.
WHAT WILL THIS PROJECT INCLUDE?
Using the transit environmental assessment process, Metrolinx will be
reviewing proposed plans for the Georgetown South rail corridor expansion and
Union-Pearson rail link including:
- Adding approximately 25 km of new rail between Malton and Union
Station
- Widening of 14 bridges including new grade separations at Strachan
Avenue, Denison Road and Carlingview Drive
- Upgrading the GO Weston Stop to a full Weston GO Station for GO and
Union-Pearson trains
- Maintaining Weston community connectivity by adding a GO rail tunnel
in Weston so that Church and King Street are kept open with fewer
rail crossing delays than now, and John Street is converted into a
pedestrian crossing
- Modifications to the Bloor GO/Dundas TTC station to accommodate GO
and Union-Pearson trains
- Adding a new 3.3 km rail spur from the GO Georgetown Line to
Terminal 1 at the Pearson Airport with seven grade separations and
opening a new passenger station at Terminal 1
- Designing for a potential future GO/Union-Pearson rail link station
at Woodbine
HOW CAN THE PUBLIC GET INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT?
Metrolinx is committed to open and transparent public consultations in the
work it undertakes. There are multiple ways to get informed and engaged in the
process:
For more information, please visit www.metrolinx.com, call 1-866-658-9890,
or email info@metrolinx.com
Tuesday, February 3 Wednesday, February 4 Friday, February 6
11:00 am - 8:30 pm 11:00 am - 8:30 pm 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
The Lithuanian House Mount Dennis Weston Park
1573 Bloor Street West United Church Baptist Church
Toronto, ON M6P 1A6 71 Guestville Avenue 1871 Weston Road
Toronto, ON M6N 4N4 Toronto, ON M9N 1V9
Monday, February 9 Tuesday, February 10 Thursday, February 12
11:00 am - 8:30 pm 11:00 am - 8:30 pm 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
Direct Energy Centre, Malton Community Centre Gordon Alcott
Salon 110 3540 Morning Star Drive Memorial Arena
100 Princes' Boulevard Mississauga, ON L4T 1Y2 221 Guelph Street
Toronto, ON M6K 3C3 Georgetown, ON L7G 4A8
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Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Province of Ontario. For more information visit our website www.metrolinx.com.
Disponible en français
For further information: Media contact: Jacquie Menezes, Senior Associate, Public Affairs and Media, Metrolinx, Phone: (416) 874-5923, Cell: (647) 289-4523, Jacquie.Menezes@metrolinx.com, www.metrolinx.com
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