Message from Martin Lennox JRA chair
This is the first of three emails this week which your JRA has prepared to help inform Junction residents of the discussions around transit in our area.
This is a critical time for transit in our neighbourhood and our great city. Our representatives will be making choices on Transit City, TTC bus service and electric trains in the Union-Pearson rail corridor over the next few weeks.
We feel it is very important that our elected representatives hear our voice on these important issues as they make critical transportation decisions that will affect our daily lives.
Five hundred people receive this email and we hope each of you will take just a few minutes this week to write, email and phone your government representatives to voice your opinion on the future of transit.
Transportation is our history; let’s help to shape its future.
First Discussion: Electrification of the Union-Pearson Rail Corridor
a. Metrolinx Electrification Study
Message from Karen Pitre, Electrification Study Project Director (January 19, 2011)
“Today, Metrolinx has released the findings of its comprehensive study which examines the electrification of the entire GO Transit rail system and the future Air Rail Link (ARL), as a future alternative to Tier 4 diesel trains. Metrolinx staff is recommending to the Metrolinx Board of Directors to move forward on the electrification of the GO Georgetown and Lakeshore corridors in phases, beginning with the ARL on the Georgetown corridor. The final Electrification Study report, as well as the accompanying Metrolinx staff report for the upcoming Metrolinx Board of Directors meeting ... and appendices are ... available online at www.gotransit.com/estudy.
Should you have any questions or comments about the report, please email karen.pitre@metrolinx.com.
Karen Pitre
Project Director
Electrification Study
Metrolinx
20 Bay Street, Suite 901
416-729-2186
Visit our website: http://www.gotransit.com/estudy"
b. Build it right, build it once. GO Electric NOW!
Message from Rick Ciccarelli of the Clean Train Coalition (January 23, 2011)
“On January 26th there is an important public rally for sustainable transportation. It is being held in front of the Central YMCA starting at 8:30 am. This is the location of the Metrolinx Board meeting, where they will be receiving the most recent study on electrification of the regional commuter rail network. See www.metrolinx.com for their information on the study.
Clean Train Coalition is a volunteer, non-partisan group representing communities along the rail corridor between Union and Pearson. We are in favour of increasing the availability of sustainable public transit, and have been advocating for the past two years to encourage Metrolinx and the Province to use clean electric trains for this system expansion. We strongly believe the Air Rail Link should be electric from the outset, and that the communities between Union Station and Pearson Airport should be better served with healthy and well-integrated electric transit.
We hope to see you at the Central YMCA, 20 Grosvenor, this coming Wednesday!”
c. Local news articles on the Metrolinx Electrification Study
Electrify Georgetown and Lakeshore GO line, says report [The Star]
Electrify GO Transit’s busiest corridors, Metrolinx report urges [Globe & Mail]
Metrolinx recommends electrifying GO trains [National Post]
Full electric GO Train system costly: Metrolinx [The Sun]
d. Last word from your JRA
Rail is the foundation of our community and it's going to be around for a long time, so expansion must be clean, fast and available to everyone.
The JRA supports Clean Train Coalition, and we feel the Union-Pearson rail corridor should be electrified now, before we expand service by hundreds of trains per day.
Metrolinx is recommending that the electrification of the corridor be a top priority, yet they are moving forward with the purchase of diesel trains for the Airport Rail Link.
It is our recommendation that we move forward with electrification now.
Please contact the politicians below and have your voice heard today.
e. Who can I contact to voice my opinion?
Hon. DALTON MCGUINTY
Premier, Province of Ontario
Rm 281, Legislative Building, Queens Park
Toronto ON M7A 1A1
Tel: (416) 325-1941 Fax: 416-325-3745
dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Hon. KATHLEEN WYNNE
Minister of Transportation
Ferguson Block, 3rd Floor
77 Wellesley St W
Toronto ON M7A 1Z8
Tel: 416-327-9200
kwynne.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
LAURA ALBANESE, MPP, York South--Weston
Unit 102, 2301 Keele St
Toronto ON M6M 3Z9
Tel: (416) 243-7984 Fax: (416) 243-0327
lalbanese.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
TONY RUPRECHT, MPP, Davenport
1359 Davenport Road
Toronto ON M6H 2H5
Tel: (416) 535-3158 Fax: (416) 325-9961
truprecht.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
CHERI DINOVO, MPP, Parkdale-High Park
3136 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON M6P 2A1
dinovoc-qp@ndp.on.ca
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