Eglinton LRT: Future of Oakwood station murky
York Guardian by Rahul Gupta
A senior Metrolinx official has retracted statements he made at a public meeting this week, which indicated the transit planning agency had ruled out adding an Oakwood Avenue stop to the station map for the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown light rail transit line.
Responding to a question from resident Claudia Giraldo, Jamie Robinson, director of community relations for rapid transit implementation, said on Oct. 22 that adding Oakwood to the planned list of stations was unlikely to happen.
He later confirmed his remarks following the town hall meeting at the North Toronto Memorial Community Centre. The evening had been organized by St. Paul’s Councillor Josh Matlow.
“What we’ve said is we’ll proceed as if Oakwood will be there, but at this particular point in time Oakwood will not be one of the stations included,†said Robinson on Monday evening.
But on Tuesday morning Robinson retracted that statement and stressed no final decision has yet been made on the fate of Oakwood.
“I did misspeak to some extent,†said Robinson who blamed his error on his lack of familiarity with the issue stemming from being in his current position for only two months.
The planned installation of station headwalls, a series of concrete support columns underneath Eglinton Avenue, at the east and west side of each planned station location, including Oakwood, would theoretically make it possible to build the stop if approved.
Getting Oakwood onto the list of planned LRT stations, however, would require amending the existing environmental assessment which would require additional approval from the province’s ministry of the environment.
Such a process might also require a further public consultation on the idea depending on whether the amendment is deemed “significantâ€, said Robinson.
Robinson said no EA amendment is planned at the moment, but that decision could be re-considered in the next few months.
Further hurting Oakwood’s candidacy for inclusion is its relative proximity to the planned stations - Dufferin in the west and Eglinton West station (at Allen Road) in the east - as well as the desire of Metrolinx to locate efficiencies to reduce costs related to construction of the Crosstown, said Robinson.
“When we look station-by-station Oakwood would have lower ridership and it’s fairly close to other stations in the area,†said Robinson.
There has been vocal community support for an Oakwood stop of late
A petition brought forth by local city councillor Josh Colle earlier in the year has gained signatures of support from 400 residents as of July.
In August, Colle said a stop at Oakwood Avenue was “50 per cent closer†to reality.
“We’re going to keep pushing, but it’s good to hear they’re at least clearing the path so to speak to make sure an Oakwood Station is possible,†said the representative for Eglinton-Lawrence.
"An EA amendment to add Oakwood would need to be completed by late 2014, when station construction is slated to begin,†said Robinson.
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT is scheduled to begin running in 2020.
