Clean Train Coalition - an update
Successes along the corridor!
- The City's Public Forum on March 22 was a resounding success! It was standing room only and garnered lots of media coverage, a sample of which we have posted on the www.cleantrain.ca/" href="http://www.bettermail.ca/ct/242/104055/101229159/6d42b03ab7cb9f3964191b49233df6cb">cleantrain.ca website. Thanks to all of you who came out to show your support and ask some excellent questions of the panelists, and thanks to Councillors Fletcher and Filion for hosting such an engaging discussion.
- Junction
residents saw a victory last week when Metrolinx
decided to drop their appeal of the Canadian Transport Agency
ruling that
GO must use quieter pile-driving technology in the West Diamond
in order to reduce noise impacts in the community. Congratulations!
See the Toronto Star article: www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/article/793045--metrolinx-drops-west-diamond-appeal" href="http://www.bettermail.ca/ct/242/104055/101229160/6d42b03ab7cb9f3964191b49233df6cb">http://www.thestar.com/news/
gta/transportation/article/ 793045--metrolinx-drops-west- diamond-appeal.
Ongoing Coalition efforts
- The
Metrolinx electrification study is under way but we are
worried that the airport rail service is not yet guaranteed to be
included
in the study, even though the air-rail link trains would make up
70% of
the volume on the Georgetown South line! The Clean Train
Coalition is adamant that the air-rail link be included and
we will need public pressure to help
support this cause.
What you can do: Send an email to Rob Prichard (robert.prichard@metrolinx.com) to ask him to make sure that this critical piece of the corridor expansion plan is not left out of the study. (Feel free to send a copy of your email to us at info@cleantrain.ca.) - The Toronto municipal election is
coming up this fall and
the Clean Train Coalition is meeting with the mayoral candidates to
let
them know about this issue and to ask them if they will support us.
What you can do: Contact the mayoral candidates and your local candidates for councillor and let them know how you feel about the issue.
Upcoming related events
- The
Clean Train Student Coalition is having an informational
meeting of their own tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14, from
7-9 p.m. at InnisTown
Hall on the University of Toronto Campus.
There will be two panels: one on property values, and the other on
civic
engagement, transparency, and community planning (including our own
Mike
Sullivan, who will be one of the panelists). For more information
and to
register, go to cleantrainstudentcoalition.wordpress.com/" href="http://www.bettermail.ca/ct/242/104055/101229161/6d42b03ab7cb9f3964191b49233df6cb">http://
cleantrainstudentcoalition. wordpress.com. - Parkdale-High
Park NDP is hosting a public forum about
transportation and the environment next Tuesday, April 20,
at
at BishopMarroccoSchool
at Dundas and Bloor. Doors open at 6:30
p.m. See www.phpndp.com/events#event2" href="http://www.bettermail.ca/ct/242/104055/101229162/6d42b03ab7cb9f3964191b49233df6cb">http://www.phpndp.com/events#
event2. Mike Sullivan will be one of the panelists at this event as well. - The
Clean Train Coalition will be hosting a Jane's Walk on Saturday,
May 1, from 2-3:30 p.m., starting at SoraurenPark and
heading up the West Toronto Railpath. We'll be walking along part
of the
corridor and exploring the impacts Metrolinx's plan will have on
air
quality, the environment and quality of life along the corridor. If
you
cannot make it on Saturday, there'll be a Clean Train component of
Doug
Bennet's Sorauren-Wabash walk the following day, Sunday, May 2,
starting at 1 p.m. in SoraurenPark. To sign up for either or both
walks,
go to janeswalk.net/cities/category/toronto" href="http://www.bettermail.ca/ct/242/104055/101229163/6d42b03ab7cb9f3964191b49233df6cb">http://janeswalk.net/cities/
category/toronto.
Call for help
As you probably know, the Clean Train Coalition is made up entirely of volunteers who contribute our spare time to the fight for electrifying the airport-rail link and Georgetown South corridor rail expansion. This means we are always looking for people to help us out with everything that needs to be done. We could use help in all areas, including: economics, train technology, fundraising, outreach, flyering, and media, just to name a few.
What you can do: If you would like to take a more active role in the coalition, please send us an email at info@cleantrain.ca, indicating your area(s) of interest.
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