Call-In With Your Question
As we continue to evolve the virtual engagement format, we are adding a call-in option for tonight’s event. To ask your question by voice, join the Zoom meeting here or use the following information to dial in:
- Phone number: 647-374-4685
- Meeting ID: 899 8464 5597
- Meeting Passcode: 842732
We aim to keep each question and subsequent answer to 3 minutes allowing for as many call-in questions as possible.
NOTE: please ensure you have the latest version of Zoom installed.
Agenda
6:30PM - 7:00PM: Project Update
7:00PM - 8:00PM: Questions and Answers
Presentation Materials
Meet the Speakers

Sarah Chowdhury
Project Manager - Environmental Programs & Assessment - Metrolinx

Aman Gill
ECWE Community Relations Manager - Metrolinx

Henry Jeens
Associate Principal - ARUP (Technical Advisor)

David Panici
ECWE Project Sponsor, Metrolinx

Kolade Akiyode
Project Team - Metrolinx

Omid Nakaei
Principal Designer - ARUP (Technical Advisor)
Format & Accessibility
Questions will be answered based on popularity (total votes). We aim to answer all questions.
Please review and note that conduct inconsistent with our policies will result in removal.
To enable closed captioning, toggle captions “on” in the YouTube video player settings.
Comments
2021 Tree Inventory
AnonymousAccording to the tree inventory and arborist report completed in 2021, how many trees will be removed by Metrolinx to facilitate the construction and operation of the 1.5km elevated section of the ECWE?
Answer
MetrolinxThis work is still in progress. Since the 2021 arborist report was drawn up with preliminary data, we've had several design changes in terms of project footprint. As a result, we were required to do further tree inventory and fieldwork. We have this work continuing through the next couple of months. Once this work is complete, we will update the arborist report with more accurate numbers in terms of how many trees are likely to be impacted by the project. We will be sharing the results with the community. We will also be communicating with TRCA and City of Toronto who we have been working closely with on tree impacts. We are also working closely with Indigenous Nations - we've asked them if they would be in interested in participating in our fieldwork. We will continue to do this to try and get as much feedback as possible from our stakeholders including the community. We understand the importance of the trees and greenspace for this community and it is one of our top priorities to minimize the number of trees we are impacting when we are making design decisions.
We strive to keep tree removals to a minimum and only remove trees that are absolutely necessary. Our goal is always to plant more than we remove and all tree removals will be compensated in accordance with the Metrolinx Vegetation Guideline and the City of Toronto’s permitting process. Our approach goes above and beyond what’s required by local environmental regulations. Metrolinx follows municipal bylaws for compensating for trees removed outside of Metrolinx lands and provides additional compensation for trees located in designated natural areas. In addition to the compensation required by the City of Toronto for ECWE, Metrolinx has an agreement with the TRCA to plant additional trees along the route as early as we can. Advance planting under this agreement began last fall, with 400 trees planted to date. More plantings are scheduled for later this year. By planting trees now, they will have ten years to grow before the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension opens, which will help preserve and strengthen tree cover in the community. Metrolinx will continue to work with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the City of Toronto on new planting initiatives.
We are also looking to incorporate robust plans for restoration, vegetation and landscape into our project agreements with our construction companies so they can appropriately restore the land back to the condition it was received, or better once construction is complete.
Station names?
AnonymousWhen will the community get a chance to provide feedback on final station names?
Answer
MetrolinxThe station naming will certainly be a part of a future update. It’s great to see the interest and excitement for this! Stay tuned and be sure to sign up for the e-newsletter to stay on top of engagement opportunities. We look forward to getting the community’s feedback on proposed names as we are further along in the process!
TBM Portal Dimensions
AnonymousTBM launch shaft/portal at Renforth Drive is 80 meters long and 20 meters wide. Will the Scarlett extraction shaft/portal and Jane launch shaft/portal be the same dimensions? If not the same, what are the dimensions of each portal?
Answer
MetrolinxThe portals at these two locations serve two different functions. The Scarlett portal will serve as the extraction shaft for the duration of construction where the tunnel boring machines will be extracted from the ground piece by piece once they arrive in the area. The Jane portal will serve as the launch shaft for the tunnel boring machines for the duration of construction. The nature of the two portal serve different purposes. The sizes are dependent on the functions of extraction and launching activities. The dimensions of the extraction shaft/portal at Scarlett are 112 meters long by 20 meters wide. The dimensions of the launch shaft/portal close to Jane are approximately 101 meters long and 17 meters wide. These dimensions are an approximate number and subject to change based on the proponents plan.
Put secondary entrance on opposite side of intersections
W. K. LisPutting the station boxes under the crossing intersections will save trees. Having secondary entrances on the opposite side of the intersections, with an underground passage to the main entrance and mezzanine would provide more safety for passengers, so they don't have to cross dangerous streets. The secondary entrance can have its own elevator and escalators, which would serve as backup in case the main entrance elevator is out-of-service.
Answer
MetrolinxThe elevated stations have two entrances and therefore passengers do not need the cross Scarlett or Jane Street. The eastern entrance is designed to minimize the impact to Humber Valley at Scarlett station and Eglinton Flats in Jane station and therefore only one elevator is dedicated to eastern entrance(s). The distance between the two entrances is less than 100m and in the case of redundancy passengers can use the other entrance
How long before a preliminary design to Pearson is released?
AnonymousSince your plan as it stands has the stations to Renforth receiving the bare minimum of functionality and do not include bus terminals/loops for new/existing feeder bus routes, (2 bus bays in front of the entrance is just plain insulting,) most of these stations are going sit empty outside of peak times. Which is why Pearson is so crucial as it will most likely be the busiest station. It is also the main justifiable reason of putting this extension underground in the first place. Why is it taking the GTAA and the Province so long to come up with a preliminary alignment? Enough with that dotted line giving us the false hope of "one day in the future." What is the actual plan? Don't just say it is a separate plan. How long after the extension to Renforth will we be commencing the line to Pearson? 2035? 2045? Seriously start the EA and TPAP and all the other regulatory measures that take over 18 months to complete now. The GTAA's plan of an airport transit hub is great but 2050 is not today... So maybe instead we should adjust these existing plans now and extend the Finch LRT via hwy 27 down passed Woodbine, into the corporate industrial area and all the way to Renforth and make Renforth the transit hub. Later on in the future when the GTAA is finally ready in this century to facilitate construction we can create a spur for both Eglinton and Finch lines to use. How much more would that cost?
Answer
MetrolinxWe inherently understand and appreciate the value of connecting the ECWE to Pearson airport. There is an overall commitment from Metrolinx and the government to deliver upon that work. Recently there have been funding commitments from the Federal government with respect to furthering the planning and design stage for that project. Transport Canada recently announced some initial funding for the Pearson connection through the Airport Critical Infrastructure Program. Metrolinx is currently working with our partners at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the Province and the Federal government on how and when we can take the project forward.
Reducing total number of piers, integrating with future Jane LRT
PrashI can understand that the elevated section of this extension is required for this area as the line will be going through the flood plain of the Humber river.
For this elevated portion, can we please use technologies to minimize the total number of piers required? Renders currently show 2 piers required for the viaduct at certain locations before and after the stations where the tracks diverge to accommodate the station platforms. I am sure wider single piers can handle and accommodate the diverged tracks. The concrete piers are unsightly at ground level and provide a potential location for graffiti tags.
Furthermore, we can use technologies such as Balanced Cantilever Bridge design to widen the space between each pier further reducing the total number of piers required.
The elevated stations should be built with entrances at both sides of the road to allow for easy passenger movement. Bus stops can be reconfigured to allow for passenger drop-offs at the corners with station entrances further reducing a potential for pedestrian collisions when using the crosswalks.
Additionally, the station at Jane and Eglinton should be designed to incorporate the Jane LRT in the future. Space should be provided to allow for a direct connection between the elevated Eglinton LRT platform and the ground level Jane LRT platform.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for the feedback! The pier design requirements have been defined as such to minimize the impact on Humber valley. It will also clear-span the river with support provided from either side of the bridge and no piers in the middle of the river. We understand that graffiti is an issue along our corridors and we'll do everything we can to deter it from the outset. We'll work with the community to review options that have worked well on other projects and then explore opportunities that fit best with this project.
The elevated stations are designed to have entrances on each side of the road. We are working with TTC to plan this extension project and as part of that process we are considering bus stop locations that provide optimal connections to entrances.
Provisions for future transit connections in and around the area are always considered as part of planning for the projects. Please call us at 416-202-8001 or email us at [email protected] for any further questions.
What steps will be taken to incorporate the future Jane LRT?
AnonymousMetrolinx needs to plan the ECWE in a way to best incorporate an LRT along Jane St. How can the elevated guideway connect the Eglinton line to the Jane line?
Answer
MetrolinxProvisions for future transit connections in and around the area are always considered as part of planning for the projects. Please call us at 416-202-8001 or email us at [email protected] for any further questions.
preserving nature and cycling through Eglinton Flats
AnonymousWhat is the plan for maintaining cyclist access along Eglinton through Eglinton Flats? Will the new cycling path on the north side of Eglinton between Jane and Weston be maintained? What interim measures will Metrolinx engage to maintain cyclist access? When will the new cycletracks east of Weston Road be available for use?
And even more importantly, how much of the forest in Eglinton Flats, and exactly which parts of it, are slated to be removed?
Answer
MetrolinxDuring construction (~2023 to 2031), the multi-use path (MUP) and sections of sidewalk on the north side will be decommissioned. To ensure mobility and safety for cyclists, a continuous south side bi-directional bike path separated from traffic will be provided temporarily between Jane Street and Black Creek Drive. A continuous cycle track will be provided all the way to Black Creek Drive. To ensure pedestrian safety, the sidewalk on the south side will be maintained during construction.
After construction, a new MUP and sidewalk would be reinstated on the north side.
The arborist report that includes the number of trees that are likely to be impacted is still underway. Field work for this report is ongoing. We will be sharing the results with the community. We will be communicating with TRCA and City of Toronto who we have been working closely with on tree impacts as well. We understand the importance of the trees and greenspace for this community and it is one of our top priorities to minimize the number of trees we are impacting when we are making design decisions. Our goal is always to plant more than we remove and all tree removals will be compensated in accordance with the Metrolinx Vegetation Guideline and the City of Toronto’s permitting process. Our approach goes above and beyond what’s required by local environmental regulations. Metrolinx follows municipal bylaws for compensating for trees removed outside of Metrolinx lands and provides additional compensation for trees located in designated natural areas. In addition to the compensation required by the City of Toronto for ECWE, Metrolinx has an agreement with the TRCA to plant additional trees along the route as early as we can. Advance planting under this agreement began last fall, with 400 trees planted to date. More plantings are scheduled for later this year. By planting trees now, they will have ten years to grow before the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension opens, which will help preserve and strengthen tree cover in the community. Metrolinx will continue to work with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the City of Toronto on new planting initiatives.
We are also looking to incorporate robust plans for restoration, vegetation and landscape into our project agreements with our construction companies so they can appropriately restore the land back to the condition it was received, or better once construction is complete.
Please, not one of the 50 shades of grey for the stations
W. K. LisPlease,do not use one of the 50 shades of grey, that is the Toronto standard, for the elevated stations.
Better to have them "blend" in with the trees and shrubs around Humber River and Eglinton Flats.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for the feedback. We have heard from the community on other stations as well that they would like to see the stations blend into the context of the neighbourhood they are located in. In the case of elevated stations, we have an overall design language and vision where we are trying to ensure consistency through the whole Eglinton line. The ECWE is approximately 10 years younger than the ECLRT and that is something we consider through our design process as well. A balance between the both is necessary. The design team is aiming to use colours intentiaonally such that the public will understand where these stations are located, relate to them and get a feeling of belonging. Metrolinx will explore how best to incorporate all your feedback in the design of the stations.
Was there an Environmental Assessment of the elevated section?
AnonymousUsually we see alternatives, with analysis of costs/benefits of each proposal, and then the preferred solution is reviewed in detail. When will the community be shown the financial and service costs/benefits of underground, surface, and elevated solutions, and once that is settled, be allowed to comment on design details? It is essential that a community lacking in recreational facilities not lose park space when massive population growth in a transit oriented community is imminent.
Answer
MetrolinxWe considered a number of configurations in the Initial Business Case, including a fully tunneled option. The mixed alignment we’re moving forward with provides the highest ridership increase, travel time savings, and increases rapid transit access to the most jobs. There are challenges to fully tunneling, since the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. While all solutions are technically feasible, tunnelling would require building underneath the Humber River, which presents environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. Underground stations at Scarlett and Jane would require excavating approximately 30m under the Humber which is twice the depth of the other underground stations. This would cause more intense and longer local community construction impacts. For context, it would be 10+m deeper than the excavation that’s happened for stations at Yonge Station and Cedarvale Station (Allen Road) on the ECLRT. Elevating the ECWE over the Humber River eliminates these challenges, and the potential for unforeseen conflicts with such deep underground conditions, while delivering more benefits. The business case is available on our website here.
Number of trees removed-not answered
AnonymousThe question was specific, according to the 2021 report. Sarah you didn't answer the question, please stop avoiding questions and stalling.
Answer
MetrolinxThis work is still in progress. Since the 2021 arborist report was drawn up with preliminary data, we've had several design changes in terms of project footprint. As a result, we were required to do further tree inventory and fieldwork. We have this work continuing through the next couple of months. Once this work is complete, we will update the arborist report with more accurate numbers in terms of how many trees are likely to be impacted by the project. We will be sharing the results with the community. We will also be communicating with TRCA and City of Toronto who we have been working closely with on tree impacts. We are also working closely with Indigenous Nations - we've asked them if they would be in interested in participating in our fieldwork. We will continue to do this to try and get as much feedback as possible from our stakeholders including the community. We understand the importance of the trees and greenspace for this community and it is one of our top priorities to minimize the number of trees we are impacting when we are making design decisions.
We strive to keep tree removals to a minimum and only remove trees that are absolutely necessary. Our goal is always to plant more than we remove and all tree removals will be compensated in accordance with the Metrolinx Vegetation Guideline and the City of Toronto’s permitting process. Our approach goes above and beyond what’s required by local environmental regulations. Metrolinx follows municipal bylaws for compensating for trees removed outside of Metrolinx lands and provides additional compensation for trees located in designated natural areas. In addition to the compensation required by the City of Toronto for ECWE, Metrolinx has an agreement with the TRCA to plant additional trees along the route as early as we can. Advance planting under this agreement began last fall, with 400 trees planted to date. More plantings are scheduled for later this year. By planting trees now, they will have ten years to grow before the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension opens, which will help preserve and strengthen tree cover in the community. Metrolinx will continue to work with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the City of Toronto on new planting initiatives.
We are also looking to incorporate robust plans for restoration, vegetation and landscape into our project agreements with our construction companies so they can appropriately restore the land back to the condition it was received, or better once construction is complete.
Keep This Section above Ground
AnonymousPlease do not listen to the comments telling you to bury this section of the line. The cost of burying this portion will inflate the cost of this line to unsustainable levels. Please keep this section elevated and don't listen to the people who are woefully misinformed about the benefits of elevated rail transit. None of those people have ever been to Vancouver or Chicago where elevated rail does not cause mental health problems, noise or vibrations. These people do not know anything about rail systems. Let the experts build the line, and let the "armchair experts" remain irrelevant.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for expressing your support and sharing your feedback with us! Elevated rapid transit is a proven solution around many cities in Canada and across the world. We also understand and value that these are beautiful areas and places of pride for the community and a place where people come from all over the city to play and walk and take in the beauty. We will continue to work closely with the community to ensure that this project fits well into the fabric of the neighbourhood!
How long should it take the development coordinator to respond?
AnonymousAnswer
MetrolinxThe processing time depends on what is being submitted. The team aims to acknowledge all inquiries received within five business days. You may reach out to us at [email protected] to share more details.
not clear example scarlett station ,,,
Anonymousif i enter on east side how do i get across to the platform ,,,is the actual stop on west side ,,,not very clear from pictures
Answer
MetrolinxThe elevated station at Scarlett is located on the north west side of the Scarlett-Eglinton intersection. There is an entrance on the east side as well. Slide 9 in this presentation depicts an example of an elevated station cross section for reference. If you have any further questions, please call us at 416-202-8001 or email us at [email protected]
Do the right thing Metrolinx!
AnonymousMetrolinx can bury this. This is what the community wants. Please listen to us. Stop using corporate speak that you value our feedback and telling us how much you've responded to our feedback. Our feedback is bury it. Stop fear-mongering - Metrolinx can financially and technically put this underground.
Answer
MetrolinxWe considered a number of configurations in the Initial Business Case, including a fully tunneled option. The mixed alignment with 7 stations that we’re moving forward with is estimated to cost $4.7billion. The fully tunneled option with 9 stations is estimated at $5.8B. The mixed alignment we’re moving forward with provides the highest ridership increase, travel time savings, and increases rapid transit access to the most jobs. There are also challenges to fully tunneling, since the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. While all solutions are technically feasible, tunnelling would require building underneath the Humber River, which presents environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. Underground stations at Scarlett and Jane would require excavating approximately 30m under the Humber which is twice the depth of the other underground stations. This would cause more intense and longer local community construction impacts. For context, it would be 10+m deeper than the excavation that’s happened for stations at Yonge Station and Cedarvale Station (Allen Road) on the ECLRT. Elevating the ECWE over the Humber River eliminates these challenges, and the potential for unforeseen conflicts with such deep underground conditions, while delivering more benefits.
Climate Crisis & Trellis Transit: Connecting all LRT stations?
AnonymousGiven the urgent need to do everything possible to address the Climate Crisis coupled with the squeal and vibration issues concerning the LRT, does it make sense to the Metrolinx team that perhaps the Trellis Transit micro-rail network should connect to ALL LRT stations in this new Eglinton extension? Autonomous Trellis Pods would then not only directly connect to numerous stops throughout the community (and directly connect to apartment/condo towers for passenger convenience and autonomous deliveries), but would also carry passengers the longer distances at off-peak periods.
Empty 70-seat LRTs currently weigh 48,000kg+ (685kg+ of machine weight per seated passenger) and the 1/6 scale operating model of Trellis Transit ( www.trellistransit.com ) is now reconfirming that the full scale 2.5m 4-passenger Trellis Pods will weight on the order of 120kg empty (30kg of machine weight per seated passenger). The total energy footprint per passenger of Trellis is running 1/400th of the LRT (ie: 400 Trellis Pods could be run using the same energy as 1 LRT) when factoring LRT HVAC and LRT bogie scrubbing issues on curves in addition to the massive LRT vehicle weight issues and the fact that most LRTs operate throughout the day with may seats empty. (As an example, consider the hauling of 48,000kg+ mostly-empty King Street LRTs up Broadview every few minutes to the Danforth Subway as a true environmental nightmare.)
Noise and vibration are also significant factors for the LRTs, especially early in the morning and evenings, but Trellis is projected to have minimal noise and no vibration given the composite rail and pole design (vs. solid concrete and steel design of the LRT support structure) as well as the rail-encapsulated bogie system.
If all LRT stations could be designed to enable Trellis connections, operation of the heavy LRTs would easily be cut to peak rush hour periods only - dramatically reducing energy use and eliminating all overnight noise and vibrations. Trellis operates 24x7, so inclusivity for all commuters is unparalleled throughout the day and night - and although Trellis Pods can carry up to 4 passengers, when only one passenger is riding maximal passenger safety is achieved.
So is now the time to seriously look at addressing the Climate Crisis and at the same time, offer the convenience of Trellis to connect directly with riders across the target neighborhoods?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for your feedback. We anticipate that this line will be using the same type of vehicles used on the Crosstown LRT because they’ll be running from end to end across the line and stored in the same facility at Black Creek/Eglinton.We are able to take advantage of the most modern technology and thinking in terms of design to address the sound of new transit in a community. The noise and vibration modelling that has been done to date does not anticipate any significant rise in levels compared to what exists today along Eglinton. Noise and vibration from electrified service like this is mainly from the wheel on rail contact and there are several ways to address that at the track level, through the design:
As part of the work we are doing, we are also conducting a climate assessment to determine resilience to climate mitigation which is connected to the federal funding on this project. We will do a lifecycle assessment of the project as well.
Misleading numbers need correcting
AnonymousAt past live virtual meetings, an answer Metrolinx offered to various questions: “We considered a number of configurations in the Initial Business Case, including a fully tunneled option. The mixed alignment with 7 stations that we’re moving forward with is estimated to cost $4.7billion. The fully tunneled option with 9 stations is estimated at $5.8B.”
That’s a difference of $1.1 billion. The cost for a fully tunnelled option with 7 stations would cost about the same $4.7 billion as the mixed alignment option with 7 stations. Why continue to mislead with numbers? Be fair and compare a 7 station plan to a 7 station plan.
Answer
MetrolinxThe key consideration is that the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. Tunnelling would require building underneath three flood-prone waterways (under the Humber River) and present significant environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. To tunnel under the Humber River Valley, you need to go approximately 100 ft or nine storeys below ground level to get sufficiently under the Humber River. For context, that is 10m deeper than any of the excavation happening at the Eglinton West for Crosstown at Cedarvale station or at Yonge and Eglinton. There would be a lot more construction impacts from those really deep station constructions at Scarlett and Jane. Through the business case, the mixed option also provided the best travel time, highest ridership, most travel time savings and most increased access to jobs.
Long answer to say 'no' tunnel.
AnonymousHow abut tunneled with SEVEN stations, not NINE?
Answer
MetrolinxThe key consideration is that the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. Tunnelling would require building underneath three flood-prone waterways (under the Humber River) and present significant environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. To tunnel under the Humber River Valley, you need to go approximately 100 ft or nine storeys below ground level to get sufficiently under the Humber River. For context, that is 10m deeper than any of the excavation happening at the Eglinton West for Crosstown at Cedarvale station or at Yonge and Eglinton. There would be a lot more construction impacts from those really deep station constructions at Scarlett and Jane. Through the business case, the mixed option also provided the best travel time, highest ridership, most travel time savings and most increased access to jobs.
Noise and vibration studies of elevated sections
AnonymousWere any studies of noise and vibration done above ground level? Although they seem far away, the buildings along Emmett avenue (across from the proposed elevated section) are already subject to quite a lot of street noise. Acoustic amplification is exacerbated by the configuration and massing of the buildings themselves. Is it possible to work with the communities of those buildings to conduct noise and vibration tests? I don’ think ground level testing provides a complete picture of future impact.
Answer
MetrolinxA Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Report was prepared in support of the 2020 Environmental Project Report (EPR) Addendum for the ECWE project. In this report, a three-dimensional model was used to calculate operational and construction noise and vibration levels at the most impacted level of multi-story buildings. For buildings such as 75 and 85 Emmett Avenue, the impact assessment considered bedroom windows on the second floor or higher to account for worst-case impacts to avoid underpredictions. The worst case impacts for 75 Emmett Avenue were identified at a height of 54m and for 85 Emmett Avenue, at a height of 60 m. For additional information, please refer to Appendix D: Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Report of the 2020 EPR Addendum on Metrolinx’s ECWE project website: https://www.metrolinx.com/en/aboutus/publications/environmental_assessment.aspx#eglinton-west.
We have also been exploring opportunities to engage with the residents at Emmett regarding this project. If you have any ideas in mind, please let us know at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to set something up. We can make ourselves available virtually as well as in-person to talk to the residents and address any concerns or questions.
Is the plan to include future connections with Trellis Transit?
AnonymousIt is estimated that ideally there would be a need for 10 Pod Ports at each of the elevated stations - and there appears to be plenty of space for them in the elevated stations opposite where the LRTs board/deboard. Clearly, for passengers who ride private Trellis Pods to the station from their homes or stops along their street, the Trellis AI scheduler will accommodate these private Pods without difficulty - but when these same passengers get off the LRT at the end of the day, there will be challenges with those queuing for their privately owned Trellis Pods becasue the AI scheduler will be jockeying possibly a great many individual Pods, unless enough concourse space is available at the LRT stations for those waiting (this is not a problem for public Pods). However, for the underground stations, it is unclear how Trellis can accommodate such connections with possibly a very few Pod Ports. Would it make sense for Trellis to simply dynamically route Pods to other above-ground stations?
Answer
MetrolinxProvisions for future transit connections in and around the area are always considered as part of planning for the projects. We continue to engage with our project partners like City of Toronto, TTC and TRCA to be sure that the project is considering all users of the corridor and all community members and offering seamless connections. Please call us at 416-202-8001 or email us at [email protected] for any further questions.
Elevated LRT
AnonymousI am extremely opposed to having an elevated LRT. I don’t feel that Metrolinx consulted with the community. It is not enough that residents have to check on Metrolinx’s website to see what decisions have already been made. Why were there no mailings to our homes ever made. I want the line to be buried in its entirety. I don’t want LRT going through our beautiful parks. I live on Guestville Ave.
Answer
MetrolinxThere have been many discussions on how to deliver rapid transit along Eglinton West over the years. The mixed alignment moving forward for provides highest ridership increase, travel time savings, and increases rapid transit access to the most jobs; it outperforms all other options in offering the best network connectivity and travel experience for people living and travelling along the corridor. Decisions on alignments take into account a number of factors, including integration with other transit, community benefits and impacts, deliverability, operations and costs, and topography, which are unique to each project.
In our business case and broader analysis of benefits, there are technical reasons and local considerations as to why we are proceeding with this option. In our IBC published in February 2020, we looked at a number of options which included the current option (mixed) as well as the fully tunneled option with nine stations. That was approximately 1.1 billion dollars more, partly because to tunnel under the Humber River Valley you need to go approximately 100 ft or nine storeys below ground level to get sufficiently under the Humber River. For context, that is 10m deeper than any of the excavation happening at the Eglinton West for Crosstown at Cedarvale station or at Yonge and Eglinton. There would be a lot more construction impacts from those really deep station constructions at Scarlett and Jane.
Tree Plantiung
AnonymousI haven't see ANY tree planting by Metrolinx in the area of the proposed elevated section. This is all talk and no action at this point.
Answer
MetrolinxMetrolinx signed a tree compensation agreement with TRCA in 2021. This is a voluntary compensation planting initiative and through this agreement Metrolinx, in partnership with TRCA, completed a proactive tree planting (400 trees) last year and plans to plant additional trees this year. they were planted at Scarlett Mills Park - the location was defined by TRCA in consultation with the City of Toronto. Scarlett Mills Park is about 1.5 to 2 km from the ECWE project footprint.
Paying Lip Service
AnonymousThis latest public consultation was terrible. It seems all one sided in Metrolinx favour who really don't want to get to the hear the heart of the matter - we don't want an elevated guide-way in the park. It's going to be ugly no matter what they do. Why does Etobicoke go underground and not the part through the flats? Sounds like the people of Etobicoke get their way but the residents of Mount Dennis get the shaft. This latest engagement was no engagement at all. So disappointing and a waste of time.
Answer
MetrolinxThe elevated section runs along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West. The elevated section will be built on the boulevard, as close as possible to Eglinton Avenue West while meeting the City of Toronto requirements, preserving as much existing vegetation as possible, maintaining access to Fergy Brown, Eglinton Flats and Pearen parks, and ensuring a good pedestrian experience in this area. The infrastructure being built will not impact the active spaces of the park.
The key consideration is that the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. Tunnelling would require building underneath three flood-prone waterways (under the Humber River) and present significant environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. To tunnel under the Humber River Valley, you need to go approximately 100 ft or nine storeys below ground level to get sufficiently under the Humber River. For context, that is 10m deeper than any of the excavation happening at the Eglinton West for Crosstown at Cedarvale station or at Yonge and Eglinton. There would be a lot more construction impacts from those really deep station constructions at Scarlett and Jane.
We appreciate that this is a large piece of infrastructure and a big change in the community but we will continue working with the community on the design as well as opportunities for public realm improvements underneath.
Operational Challenges
AnonymousOn page 84 of the the Metrolinx Initial Business Case it states that a below grade LRT presents very low operational challenges compared to an at-grade option:
Option 1 at-grade: Moderate (Many traffic signals, risk of weather and traffic-related service disruptions)
Option 2 below grade: Very Low (Best severe weather protection)
In the long run, with less service disruptions the below grade option is the best choice for reliability, safety and lower ongoing maintenance costs. An elevated guideway will be worse in terms of operational challenges and ongoing maintenance cost. Service disruptions will be more frequent during winter snowstorms and any other severe weather. Look at the Scarborough RT, constant service disruptions, millions spent on repairs and maintenance and now shut down. We don’t want this in York South-Weston, keep the LRT underground.
Why is Metrolinx pressing ahead with the 1.5km an elevated section west of Mount Dennis station when it will be less reliable, cost more in the long run and cause extensive and irreversible environmental destruction?
Answer
MetrolinxThe key consideration is that the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. Tunnelling would require building underneath three flood-prone waterways (under the Humber River) and present significant environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. To tunnel under the Humber River Valley, you need to go approximately 100 ft or nine storeys below ground level to get sufficiently under the Humber River. For context, that is 10m deeper than any of the excavation happening at the Eglinton West for Crosstown at Cedarvale station or at Yonge and Eglinton. There would be a lot more construction impacts from those really deep station constructions at Scarlett and Jane. Through the business case, the mixed option also provided the best travel time, highest ridership, most travel time savings and most increased access to jobs.
What protection has been made for wildlife living along the line
AnonymousI moved in the area because of the beautiful parks and protected land. Environmental protection is a must to keep the earth healthy. More trees not less creates less flooding and cool the areas during the hot summers we will be getting, due to the impact humans already have destroyed. Thank-you
Answer
MetrolinxWildlife protection measures will be implemented during all phases of construction (i.e., pre-, during and post-construction). The contractor completing the construction activities is required to conduct work so as to avoid or minimize the potential for negative impacts to wildlife and in compliance with applicable federal and provincial environmental laws and regulations. Measures may include but are not limited to:
These and other measures will be refined and detailed further by the contractor in advance of construction activities.
Final design
AnonymousWhen will we be able to see the final design for the elevated section, including the guard rails?
Answer
MetrolinxWe will be sharing more on the elevated section in a future engagement later this year. Stay tuned!
Crossing distance at Intersections
AnonymousI am very concerned about the intersection design at stations. The station overview shown today indicates that there will be right turning lanes and bus bays in the east-west direction, making pedestrians need to cross 7 lanes of traffic. The bus bays for TTC route 32 is likely not needed as they will likely operate less than every 20 mins per hour once the extension opens. Pedestrian safety is very important and every effort should be made to reduce crossing distance.
Answer
MetrolinxWe continue to engage with our project partners like City of Toronto Transportation Services and TTC to be sure that the project is considering all users of the corridor and all community members.This includes not just transit users travelling by subway or bus but also pedestrians and cyclists. A lot of input into the design with respect to bus stop locations and turn channels are subject to the requirements of those stakeholders. That being said, safety and accessibility are always at the center of our design thinking and process at Metrolinx. There are roadway improvements at the major north-south intersections that we are exploring with the City of Toronto to upgrade them in line with the vision zero requirements that the City of Toronto has a mandate to deliver through City of Toronto Council. We will continue to those discussions and will keep the community informed on project updates.
LRT Fully Underground
AnonymousVery disturbing to learn you are planning above ground LRT and through our parks! These parks belong to the residents and we do not want them disturbed in the least! Our wildlife, our children, our pets, our residents, and seniors are all asking you to put the trains underground fully.
Mount Dennis Resident
Answer
MetrolinxThe elevated section runs along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West. The elevated section will be built on the boulevard, as close as possible to Eglinton Avenue West while meeting the City of Toronto requirements, preserving as much existing vegetation as possible, maintaining access to Fergy Brown, Eglinton Flats and Pearen parks, and ensuring a good pedestrian experience in this area. The infrastructure being built will not impact the active spaces of the park.
The mixed alignment we’re moving forward with provides the highest ridership increase, travel time savings, and increases rapid transit access to the most jobs. There are also challenges to fully tunneling, since the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. While all solutions are technically feasible, tunnelling would require building underneath the Humber River, which presents environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. Underground stations at Scarlett and Jane would require excavating approximately 30m under the Humber which is twice the depth of the other underground stations. This would cause more intense and longer local community construction impacts. For context, it would be 10+m deeper than the excavation that’s happened for stations at Yonge Station and Cedarvale Station (Allen Road) on the ECLRT. Elevating the ECWE over the Humber River eliminates these challenges, and the potential for unforeseen conflicts with such deep underground conditions, while delivering more benefits.
Please provide the full pictures of the tunnel?
Anonymousall online pictures do not show the full tunnel plans between Islington and Royal York, specifically where the tunnel will be around Russell Road and Eden Valley Drive.
Answer
MetrolinxThe tunnel runs under the right of way while passing through these intersections. It then goes upwards to the northwest side at Royal York.
I’ve heard from other community groups
AnonymousThat metrolinx does not listen to community concerns and have been conducting “performative engagement “ The message from other areas in TO is do NOT trust Metrolinx because Metrolinx are not conducting a democratic process .“ Why should YSW believe you over our neighbours from the east end of the line?
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for your feedback. We absolutely want to hear what elements of the project excite you and what elements concern you so we can work together to incorporate the community's feedback into our decision-making process, and address concerns appropriately and well in advance. The presentation material shared as part of our April virtual open house captured a lot of feedback from our communities and reflected how we were able to incorporate it into some of the decisions that were made. We also recieved some great feedback for the elevated section survey with over 700 responses. We will continue to do this throughout the lifecycyle of the project. We need the community's input into the design elements to ensure that we are building a system that will fit well into the fabric of the neighbourhood and communities it will serve. If you would like for us to set up a meeting with you 1:1 or have a group in mind who would like to share their feedback with us, please let us know at [email protected]. We are happy to set something up!
Employment for Carpentry with the Eglinton Crosstown LTR
AnonymousDoes the companies that will hire , do they discriminate, for employment against white males over 50.
Richview Rd buildings access from Eglinton Ave W after LRT final
AnonymousToday, Richview Rd buildings have access from Eglinton Ave W for more than 6 buildings (soon construction for 7th building on 1C Richview).
If no access from Eglinton Ave W, after LRT W construction will be finalized, it will be a huge gridlock for all traffic that will be on the Richview to access Scarlett Rd. only. Scarlett Rd. do not have intersection with traffic lights to go on the left from Richview or left from Scarlett toward Richview and even with traffic lights most likely will not make a big change. Consider possible +1000 cars or more in the morning. It will be a nightmare for all neighborhood, including the school and Ukrainian Center access. What is the Metrolinx plan to keep / provide access to Richview from Eglinton?
Mention: Around Scarlett / Eglinton W/ Royal York neighborhood is a dense populated area with more than 20 rise apartment buildings and a lot of houses.
Answer
MetrolinxWhen construction of the elevated guideway begins the existing driveway will need to be closed permanently. That work is currently expected to begin in approximately 2024/25 but the schedule is still preliminary. We understand many residents in the buildings use the driveway today. We are working with the City of Toronto to fully understand the impact the closure will have on traffic in the area and map out a plan to address that. We are also in discussions with the owner/developer of the Richview buildings to discuss design and technical matters such as the driveway closure. We're looking at all options and we will keep the community updated as the traffic impact analysis work is completed.
Get the train expressway our of parks and put it underground!
AnonymousOur community deserves to be treated with respect! No one wants a "Gardiner Expressway" for trains through our parks, the massive stations and the massive holes in our parks for trains to go in and out. What kind of transit planning is this? Everyone is opposed to this, if they even know about it! Metrolinx has done a terrible job communicating this. It would be easy to keep this section underground. The train expressway will destroy our parks, hurt wildlife, make our community less safe and quite frankly look awful. Stop treating our community members like we are children and asking us to pick colours for rails. Do the right thing and put this underground!
Answer
MetrolinxThe elevated section runs along the north side of Eglinton Avenue West. The elevated section will be built on the boulevard, as close as possible to Eglinton Avenue West while meeting the City of Toronto requirements, preserving as much existing vegetation as possible, maintaining access to Fergy Brown, Eglinton Flats and Pearen parks, and ensuring a good pedestrian experience in this area. The infrastructure being built will not impact the active spaces of the park.
The mixed alignment we’re moving forward with provides the highest ridership increase, travel time savings, and increases rapid transit access to the most jobs. There are also challenges to fully tunneling, since the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. While all solutions are technically feasible, tunnelling would require building underneath the Humber River, which presents environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. Underground stations at Scarlett and Jane would require excavating approximately 30m under the Humber which is twice the depth of the other underground stations. This would cause more intense and longer local community construction impacts. For context, it would be 10+m deeper than the excavation that’s happened for stations at Yonge Station and Cedarvale Station (Allen Road) on the ECLRT. Elevating the ECWE over the Humber River eliminates these challenges, and the potential for unforeseen conflicts with such deep underground conditions, while delivering more benefits.
Heated sidewalks and above ground platforms
W. K. LisIn Quebec City, they plan to have heated platforms for their tramways, which will only be on when it snows (or ice storms). Will the entrance sidewalks and elevated platforms be heated, only when it snows (or during ice storms)?
Answer
MetrolinxOpen public spaces will have appropriate snow management mitigations. Currently heat tracing is not considered for platforms. We will come back to the community with more details and renderings for stations - stay tuned!
In person meetings
AnonymousWhy are we still using online meetings instead of in-person meetings now that Covid restrictions are gone? The TTC used to hold face to face meetings all the time! This is a disadvantage for many people including seniors who can't go online. Community groups like the Mt Dennis Community Association don't truly represent the voices of all ethnic groups. Ask them how many members they have and who they are.
Answer
MetrolinxWith the changing nature of the pandemic, we continue to monitor the public health restrictions and opportunities for in-person community events. We have already started doing some in-person meetings with smaller groups. We were out in the community at Lemonwood Ave a few weeks ago and also hosted a community walk with MDCA and residents earlier this week. If there is a smaller group meeting you would like us to attend, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Reconnect Richview Rd. to Richview Side Rd. (Eglinton Ave. W.)
W. K. LisRichview Road used to be Richview Side Road. Eglinton Avenue West ended at Jane Street, in the Eglinton Flats. When they extended Eglinton Avenue West into Etobicoke, they connected it with Richview SIde Road a kilometre west of Scarlett Road and continued west in Mississauga, and widened it. However, Richview Road ended up dead-ended without a connection to Eglinton Avenue West.
With the construction of the portal, they will be narrowing Eglinton Avenue West, west of Scarlett Road. To provide better access to the buildings at the northwest corner of Eglinton & Scarlett, we should reconnect Richview Road with Eglinton. A new traffic signal intersection should be built at the west end of Richview Road, to connect with Eglinton Avenue West on the north side AND the driveway of Chartwell Scarlett Heights Retirement Residence on the south side.
Answer
MetrolinxThank you for your suggestion. When construction of the elevated guideway begins the existing driveway will need to be closed permanently. That work is currently expected to begin in approximately 2024/25 but the schedule is still preliminary. We understand many residents in the buildings use the driveway today. We are working with the City of Toronto to fully understand the impact the closure will have on traffic in the area and map out a plan to address that. We are also in discussions with the owner/developer of the Richview buildings to discuss design and technical matters such as the driveway closure. We're looking at all options and we will keep the community updated as the traffic impact analysis work is completed.
Ice and snow management on access stairs/ramps
AnonymousHow will you manage ice and snow accumulation on access stairs/ramps to the platform? Will you employ some sort of heating system like what is used for the UP express ramp at platform 3 of Weston station?
Answer
MetrolinxAny open ramp and stairs to platforms will have appropriate snow management mitigations. We will come back to the community with more details and renderings on stations at a future engagement - stay tuned!
Underground
crs1026Why are the Eglinton West extension stations not designed to have entrances at all four corners of each major intersection (as is common with downtown subway stations)? Eglinton, Royal York, Islington, Kipling, Martin Grove are all very busy streets and pedestrian safety is affected if riders must make one or two crossings to reach the station entrance. Literally a matter of life and death!
Answer
MetrolinxWe continue to engage with our project partners like City of Toronto Transportation Services and TTC to be sure that the project is considering all users of the corridor and all community members.This includes not just transit users travelling by subway or bus but also pedestrians and cyclists. A lot of input into the design with respect to bus stop locations and turn channels are subject to the requirements of those stakeholders. That being said, safety and accessibility are always at the center of our design thinking and process at Metrolinx. There are roadway improvements at the major north-south intersections that we are exploring with the City of Toronto to upgrade them in line with the vision zero requirements that the City of Toronto has a mandate to deliver through City of Toronto Council. We will continue to those discussions and will keep the community informed on project updates.
Re:Above ground vs underground costs
AnonymousHow will you manage the excess maintenance costs for the above ground sections?
Answer
MetrolinxMaintenance costs are important considerations, and Metrolinx takes a holistic approach in its determination. We think about costs not just for the elevated stations but within the context of the whole ECWE project.
Mx: STOP Building Expressway Bridge thru green/heritage space!!
AnonymousPlease put FULL STOP on elevated structure design work until a FULL REVIEW OF OPTIONS is done with proper community engagement. The Hybrid tunnel-bridge option was crafted with EWCE Community Working Group that had NO REPRESENTATION from MOUNT DENNIS. The "Initial Business Case" was then to be reviewed at the Mount Dennis Segment Community Engagement Group, but EWCE has blocked that and determined the "Initial" to mean the "fully endorsed and authorized" plan. IT IS NOT ENDORSED BY MOUNT DENNIS RESIDENTS WHO CALL ON YOU TO HALT DESIGN WORK UNTIL OPTIONS ARE PROPOERLY REVIEWED. Please DO NOT insult us with bogus surveys about the Expressway Bridge.
Answer
MetrolinxWhen it comes to decisions related to transit planning and construction, the role of Metrolinx is to provide evidence, analysis, and advice to the Provincial government, who then makes decisions about how to allocate taxpayer dollars. This evidence, analysis and advice is communicated through the business case process, which is a comprehensive collection of evidence and analysis that sets out the rationale for why an investment should be made to solve a problem or address an opportunity. Metrolinx does business cases for all its big transit investments like ECWE. The business case looks at a number of options and tries to identify the costs and benefits of those different options (in terms of transit ridership, travel time savings, greenhouse gas emissions reduction and other economic benefits).
The mixed alignment of underground and elevated guideway provides an optimal trade-off between the ease of local access and the speed of travelling, and outperforms all other alignment options in offering the best network connectivity, travel experience and therefore the highest ridership increase and access to the most jobs.
Why isn’t the LRT being built underground?
AnonymousThe residents of York South Weston and beyond prefer that the line be built underground. We know that this is possible from an engineering perspective and the Federal Government has supplied the financial aid necessary.
Answer
MetrolinxWe considered a number of configurations in the Initial Business Case, including a fully tunneled option. The mixed alignment with 7 stations that we’re moving forward with is estimated to cost $4.7billion. The fully tunneled option with 9 stations is estimated at $5.8B. The mixed alignment we’re moving forward with provides the highest ridership increase, travel time savings, and increases rapid transit access to the most jobs. There are also challenges to fully tunneling, since the area between Scarlett Road and Jane Street is in an identified flood plain zone. While all solutions are technically feasible, tunnelling would require building underneath the Humber River, which presents environmental and technical challenges to building and operating the line. Underground stations at Scarlett and Jane would require excavating approximately 30m under the Humber which is twice the depth of the other underground stations. This would cause more intense and longer local community construction impacts. For context, it would be 10+m deeper than the excavation that’s happened for stations at Yonge Station and Cedarvale Station (Allen Road) on the ECLRT. Elevating the ECWE over the Humber River eliminates these challenges, and the potential for unforeseen conflicts with such deep underground conditions, while delivering more benefits.
The federal funding was provided to the project as it is currently designed with the mixed alignment of tunnel and elevated guideway.
Elevated Rail through our parks and our Mental Health
AnonymousFor many in our community, having access to green spaces, parks, and outdoor recreation facilities is a vital component to good mental health.
Indeed, many have chosen to live here (or remain living here) because of this rare and beautiful sliver of nature in the midst of a growing city.
Concrete structures thrust in the midst of such a precious resource is not only detrimental to our health and natural environment, it is simply obtrusive and obscene.
Residents and Metrolinx have no doubt already taken note of the homeless shelter that has been inadvertently created underneath the short section of elevated rail over Black Creek Drive, not to mention the canvass it has provided for the graffiti taggers.
Metrolinx, is this the vision you have for our future, for our cities? Choosing to build elevated rail through our parks is moving backwards, not forwards.
Tunneling is the only viable and responsible option.
We can do do much, much better!
Answer
MetrolinxWe understand these are beautiful areas and places of pride for the community and a place where people come from all over the city to play and walk and take in the beauty. The elevated guideway will be built on the boulevard next to Eglinton Avenue West therefore the infrastructure being built will not impact the active spaces of the park.
This is a brand new line so we are able to take advantage of the most modern technology and thinking in terms of design to address the sound of new transit in a community. The noise and vibration modelling that has been done to date does not anticipate any significant rise in levels compared to what exists today along Eglinton. Noise and vibration from electrified service like this is mainly from the wheel on rail contact and there are several ways to address that at the track level, through the design. Metrolinx has a toolkit of mitigations that can be applied to address noise concerns through construction and operations. We also know that graffiti is an issue along our corridors and we'll do everything we can to deter it from the outset. We'll work with the community to review options that have worked well on other projects and then explore opportunities that fit best with this project.
We appreciate that this is a large piece of infrastructure and a big change in the community but we will continue working with the community on the design as well as opportunities for public realm improvements underneath.