407 Rail Freight Bypass/The Missing Link

[Allandale25]

^ It'll be interesting to see which municipalities and their local political leaders win the argument on what to do, and if the Province (after Thursday) remains committed.

 

[robmausser]

I would bet Mississauga would find a reason to oppose the solution that only moves CN and frees up space on only the Kitchener corridor.

They should (would) hold out and pressure the feds and province to get CP and York region onside.......CN only gives a very small part of Mississauga additional service....but moving CP and CN seems key to unlocking the potential of the Milton GO corridor!

If I was the Ontario government/Metrolinx, I would have put into the building of the Hurontario LRT, which is being funded entirely by the province, that Mississauga agree to the Missing Link.

The same should be done for other areas that oppose the missing link. Fine, oppose it all you want, but you lose funding for any transit projects in your area.

 

[TOareaFan]

If I was the Ontario government/Metrolinx, I would have put into the building of the Hurontario LRT, which is being funded entirely by the province, that Mississauga agree to the Missing Link.

The same should be done for other areas that oppose the missing link. Fine, oppose it all you want, but you lose funding for any transit projects in your area.

As far as I know, the line "do what the province was or you lose funding" has only been used once by this government in transit discussions.

 

[Allandale25]

If I was the Ontario government/Metrolinx, I would have put into the building of the Hurontario LRT, which is being funded entirely by the province, that Mississauga agree to the Missing Link.

The same should be done for other areas that oppose the missing link. Fine, oppose it all you want, but you lose funding for any transit projects in your area.

I don't really get your point on what Mississauga needs to agree to for the Missing Link portion along the Brampton/Mississauga border - unless you're concern is that there could be some opposition by local residents in the north part of Meadowvale. Mississauga Council/the Mayor have pretty much already agreed to the Missing Link and it's pretty easy for them to do so because the real traffic increase and need for new tracks is in York Region.

The big infrastructure project in the area that opposes adding CP to the CN York Sub is the Yonge Street North Subway Extension from Finch to Richmond Hill. In fact, the subway extension would pass directly under the CN York Sub.

 

[TOareaFan]

I don't really get your point on what Mississauga needs to agree to for the Missing Link portion along the Brampton/Mississauga border - unless you're concern is that there could be some opposition by local residents in the north part of Meadowvale. Mississauga Council/the Mayor have pretty much already agreed to the Missing Link and it's pretty easy for them to do so because the real traffic increase and need for new tracks is in York Region.

The big infrastructure project in the area that opposes adding CP to the CN York Sub is the Yonge Street North Subway Extension from Finch to Richmond Hill. In fact, the subway extension would pass directly under the CN York Sub.

I could see an proactive municipal government opposing the link if all it did was move the CN traffic.....I would bet there is an assumption built into the Mississauga support that sees both CP and CN diverted onto the new corridor.

 

[Allandale25]

^ I agree and I see that as a potential scenario.

 

[muller877]

If I was the Ontario government/Metrolinx, I would have put into the building of the Hurontario LRT, which is being funded entirely by the province, that Mississauga agree to the Missing Link.

The same should be done for other areas that oppose the missing link. Fine, oppose it all you want, but you lose funding for any transit projects in your area.

Would you agree to the same for the Yonge line extension (assuming the DRL is unfunded)?

 

[Leo_Chan]

Would you agree to the same for the Yonge line extension (assuming the DRL is unfunded)?

Isn't that basically what's happening? "If you want funding for the the Relief Line, then you'll have to approve and build the Yonge Extension."

 

[robmausser]

Would you agree to the same for the Yonge line extension (assuming the DRL is unfunded)?

I think if that region opposes more traffic through the York corridor (shifting CP onto the York corridor will cause more freight traffic north of Steeles, where the Yonge extension will go through) than the agreement should be OK, we won't do the Missing Link, but no Yonge extension.

You can't block the progress of other area's transit investment and expect your own.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I would bet Mississauga would find a reason to oppose the solution that only moves CN and frees up space on only the Kitchener corridor.

They should (would) hold out and pressure the feds and province to get CP and York region onside.......CN only gives a very small part of Mississauga additional service....but moving CP and CN seems key to unlocking the potential of the Milton GO corridor!

Looks like Brampton is home free. Lol for once Brampton is ahead of Mississauga.

I wouldn't be so sure...CP and York Region still have to come onside for the full Missing Link. CP can be forced under legislation, albeit that would take backbone on the part of the feds, good luck on that, but under the Relocation and Crossing Act, all municipalities affected have to be agreeable. York won't be. It's far more than just Il Duce.

• http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/R-4/page-1.html#h-3

I suspect there are ways of getting around York Region's intransigence, but that misses the point. *Any* kind of technicality will be enough to throw a rail spanner into an application before the CTA and approval.

This is not the case for the simple Brampton Bypass. "All municipalities within that area (affected)" will be more than supportive of this.

Mississauga vs York Region will be interesting to watch.

 

[lenaitch]

Whenever/wherever a virgin rail corridor is built, we should start a lottery on how long it takes for a municipality to approve a residential subdivision backing on the fence line. This is a prerequisite for people to complain about trains ruining their lives.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Is York Region (mainly Markham, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill) considered very interconnected? How come Brampton and Mississauga of Peel Region do not seem very coherent? I just find it quite interesting that southern York Region feels like a single "city".

 

[TOareaFan]

Is York Region (mainly Markham, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill) considered very interconnected? How come Brampton and Mississauga of Peel Region do not seem very coherent? I just find it quite interesting that southern York Region feels like a single "city".

In what way are Brampton and Mississauga not coherent?

 

[Leo_Chan]

In what way are Brampton and Mississauga not coherent?

I'm just basing this off of feel (with not much experience), but one might be the lack of Peel Transit and Mississauga wanting to leave Peel Region.

 

[muller877]

I'm just basing this off of feel (with not much experience), but one might be the lack of Peel Transit and Mississauga wanting to leave Peel Region.

It's actually fairly integrated for transit. The system maps of both cities have the bus routes of the others in grey. Brampton has several lines stretching into Mississauga (and Mississauga has a couple into Brampton). This compares to the TTC which shows a deserted wasteland outside of the borders.

In fact I would go out on a limb and say that Brampton probably has the most routes and route miles outside of their borders compared to any other transit system in the GTA.

You have to remember that York region has several smaller cities (Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, etc) all with populations around 350,000 and fairly close together. This compares to Mississauga with 800,000 and Brampton with 600,000 each which started as distinct and very separated areas. Both are large enough for a complete transit system.

Getting back to the Missing Link I think Mississauga is fairly unique in the GTA for experience with a train disaster. Whichever route it takes across the GTA transportation is required and we have to live with the risk somewhere. Toronto does not have a current plan for a CP rail disaster which is disheartening. Whichever route it takes in the future (existing tracks or the bypass) we all need to be planning for the worst (and living assuming the best).