Thank you Vic for that excellent Jane's Walk.
Just north of Erwin Krickhahn Park, Paton Rd currently dead-ends at the rail corridor on both sides. At this location, the underside of the proposed train bridge would be roughly at the top of this fence. There is an opportunity here to reconnect Paton Rd with a pedestrian underpass, however the bridge won't be high enough to allow cars through here.
Moving further north, there is this laneway directly adjacent to the tracks. The bridge would rise well above this fence and will be seen from the adjacent homes. Since the tracks would be elevated, it might be possible to remove this fence but no one knows for sure at this point.
At Wallace Ave is a grade intersection which will be eliminated with the proposed elevated bridge. However the bridge will affect the view of the tower, which is a significant neighbourhood landmark.
This is at Wallace looking south. Because of the curve that begins north of the CP corridor, the bridge would be build right up to the property line on the right, away from the existing track. This alignment allow for a straighter bridge which reduces the risk of derailment. The rail corridor is wide enough for 4 tracks, but since only two tracks will be needed there might be room for a trail similar to the West Toronto Railpath.
At Wallace Ave looking north:
At this dead-end of Sarnia Ave, the group pondered the impact the bridge would have on adjacent homes.
At Cambell Park, the bridge would be right next to the tree tops, and as close to the trees as the fence. Some pruning may be required for safely reasons or even removal at worst case, plus the bridge pillars might also interfere with the roots. An arborist will have to determine how the trees will be affected, but after the clearcutting that happened in the UPX corridor the locals here are wary of Metrolinx's intensions.
On the north side of the park is Antler street which currently dead-ends at the tracks.
Seen through the fence is Lappin Ave on the other side of the tracks. Lappin could reconnect with Antler if the tracks are elevated. However the city allowed an adjacent business to use the end of Lappin Ave as a private parking lot for its customers. The decision was made well before the Diamond grade separation plan had started, but this will complicate efforts to reconnect the streets and is potentially a lost opportunity. Even if they can be reconnected, there is difference in opinion as to whether it should only allow pedestrians, or whether cars should be allowed too (and thus cause increased traffic in the neighbourhood).
At Dupont St the proposed rail bridge would be significantly taller than the low-rise surroundings. Some people want the Dupont underpass to be filled in, but that would cost millions of dollars and is something for the city not Metrolinx to decide.
The bridge would be similar to the UPX spur to Pearson: reinforced concrete supported by a single row of columns. Local opinion on the bridge proposal is mixed to say the least. It would rise several metres above the existing tracks, towering above peoples homes and highly visible in a lot of places. It's likely that noise walls will be required too, which adds even more to the height and visual impact. A community relations guy from Metrolinx attended the walk, and faced a barrage of questions/criticism about the proposal. His job would have been easier if there was more info about possible community benefits (electrification, new GO stations, public realm, aesthetics of the bridge), but it's too early at this stage to know about any of that. I see potential for a big fight between locals and Metrolinx like we saw at Weston.
In my opinion, I thing the bridge is the way to go (full disclosure: I don't live here). A lot of locals will prefer a tunnel, but it would cost at least $500 M more and entail massive traffic disruption so it's unlikely to happen. If something like this was proposed next to my house, honestly I would just suck it up and accept the fact that regional and city wide transportation improvement matters far more than some local grievances.
