Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

nfitz said:
In a shocking move last week, MPP Cheri DiNovo of the NDP intoduced legislation that would stop Metrolinx from running the Union-Pearson train until electrification is complete - http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bi...en&BillID=2996&isCurrent=false&ParlSessionID=

I just can't get my head around how the NDP can be so completely fiscally irresponsible to suggest that service on this line be delayed for who knows how many years while they get the electrification running. Given that the Tier 4 diesels will create much less pollution than the taxis and buses currently in use, they are going to increase pollution and put lives of some of most sensitive residents at risk.

My gosh, I'm so relieved that the NDP (who seem to have become mostly a group of populists and Nimbys) have had their hold on the government eliminated, if this is the kind of crap that they think is acceptable.

Reading the legislation though, they have left the door open to using coal, rather than diesel. I wonder if the DMU is convertible to CMU.
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Unbelievable. Good thing they're powerless. Ontario voters sent a very clear message during the election.
 
ehlow said:
Unbelievable. Good thing they're powerless. Ontario voters sent a very clear message during the election.
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I think the defeat Jonah Schein, the NDP MPP that won Davenport in 2011 on a anti-diesel crusade, is a very clear and relevant message in this case.

This issue will finally fizzle out completely when construction is complete, some off-peak GO service and the UP express are quietly swooshing through the Weston tunnel and a timeline for electrification is announced. The only legitimate reason residents are still rattled about the project is the construction noise, I know someone that lives by the corridor and the overnight concrete pours keeps them up at night.
 
DonValleyRainbow said:
I think the defeat Jonah Schein, the NDP MPP that won Davenport in 2011 on a anti-diesel crusade, is a very clear and relevant message in this case.

This issue will finally fizzle out completely when construction is complete, some off-peak GO service and the UP express are quietly swooshing through the Weston tunnel and a timeline for electrification is announced. The only legitimate reason residents are still rattled about the project is the construction noise, I know someone that lives by the corridor and the overnight concrete pours keeps them up at night.
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It has to happen from time to time as you can't stop a pour because it night.

Most of the pours will be done by September and will not take place during the night.

The residents are warn when work takes places outside the standard hours of work.

Where there any real complaints when there was over 24hrs of concrete pouring for the Four Season footing???

I guess we go back to the old days where everything is 9-5, haft day Sat, nothing open late, no Sunday work of any kind including no shopping and having projects take years compare to months to do the work to please these folks.
 
Noticed on the way home last night that the Weston platforms (or a decent amount of them anyway) were poured in the last couple of days.

This entire project has reached the pretty neat stage where even us laymen can see the progress on a day to day basis.
 
nfitz said:
In a shocking move last week, MPP Cheri DiNovo of the NDP intoduced legislation that would stop Metrolinx from running the Union-Pearson train until electrification is complete - http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bi...en&BillID=2996&isCurrent=false&ParlSessionID=

I just can't get my head around how the NDP can be so completely fiscally irresponsible to suggest that service on this line be delayed for who knows how many years while they get the electrification running. Given that the Tier 4 diesels will create much less pollution than the taxis and buses currently in use, they are going to increase pollution and put lives of some of most sensitive residents at risk.

My gosh, I'm so relieved that the NDP (who seem to have become mostly a group of populists and Nimbys) have had their hold on the government eliminated, if this is the kind of crap that they think is acceptable.

Reading the legislation though, they have left the door open to using coal, rather than diesel. I wonder if the DMU is convertible to CMU.
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It is the kind of granstanding legislation that would only be introduced by a party (any party, really) when they know it has no chance of success....it is meant to appeal to a very niche/particular group and makes the NDP seem "good" to them....notice that it was never introduced when they had a slim chance to get it passed (when the torys were on a "just vote the opposite of the libs kick" )......outside of these boards, the general public would never even be aware of the attempted bill.
 
TOareaFan said:
It is the kind of granstanding legislation that would only be introduced by a party (any party, really) when they know it has no chance of success....it is meant to appeal to a very niche/particular group and makes the NDP seem "good" to them....notice that it was never introduced when they had a slim chance to get it passed (when the torys were on a "just vote the opposite of the libs kick" )......outside of these boards, the general public would never even be aware of the attempted bill.
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It's also the kind of think that will make me less likely to consider voting NDP next time. Which isn't to be taken lightly, given I've voted for them before, and my NDP MPP was just tossed out of one of the previously safest NDP seats in the province.

It's certainly a question I'll be asking the next NDP candidate to come knocking on my door.
 
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nfitz said:
It's also the kind of think that will make me less likely to consider voting NDP next time. Which isn't to be taken lightly, given I've voted for them before, and my NDP MPP was just tossed out of one of the previously safest NDP seats in the province.

It's certainly a question I'll be asking the next NDP candidate to come knocking on my door.
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Yes...I understand but you have to understand that you are in a small minority of people who would even know about this bill for one thing and who will remember it the next time there is an election. It is a calculated risk to be seen as supporting that clean train coalition group while most people will never even know about, or remember if they did know, the bill they proposed....like I said, if they had done it when they had a chance of success (in the minority parliament) it would have been big news (likely front page news as it would impact not just the UPe but the city/region's image around the PanAm games, etc) and they would have to explain why they were blocking this train in light of the sort of things that nfitz pointed out in his post.

It was not a bill meant to be read/heard/cared about by anyone other than a very select group who will "appreciate their effort".
 
TOareaFan said:
It was not a bill meant to be read/heard/cared about by anyone other than a very select group who will "appreciate their effort".
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So I shouldn't worry about it because they are simply pandering to Nimbys?

I'm so glad these idiots are out of any power. What happened to the real NDP?
 
nfitz said:
So I shouldn't worry about it because they are simply pandering to Nimbys?

I'm so glad these idiots are out of any power. What happened to the real NDP?
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No i did not say you, nor insertname, should not worry about it.....I just said it is a calculated political move to satisfy a group of people and hope that no one else (or very few at least) notices/cares/remembers.

I am not an NDP supporter but they are, after all, a political party and since all parties do this sort of thing at one time or another then i would have a hard time believing this is the first time they have tried/done something like this.
 
TOareaFan said:
Noticed on the way home last night that the Weston platforms (or a decent amount of them anyway) were poured in the last couple of days.

This entire project has reached the pretty neat stage where even us laymen can see the progress on a day to day basis.
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Its my understanding that the new platform at Weston is to go into service by September to allow the current platform to be rebuilt like the one being built. The last platform will be done in 2015.

When I last saw it a month ago, it was ready for the first haft to have the snow melting system place.

By year end, you will be using the new fly-under.

This will allow UPX to use track 3 & 4 while track 1 & 2 are bring built when it starts running in spring 2015. UPX is supposed to use track 3 & 4 north of Bloor to the airport

The same thing is supposed to happen at Bloor, but you will not be allow to access the platform from the RailPath until the existing one is rebuilt. There is talk it supposed to happen in September as well.
 
TOareaFan said:
I am not an NDP supporter but they are, after all, a political party and since all parties do this sort of thing at one time or another then i would have a hard time believing this is the first time they have tried/done something like this.
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Sure, at one point or another.

This was the piece of legislation that they thought important enough to introduce at their first opportunity of the new Parliament. (to be fair, they introduced 3 other things at the same time -affordable housing units in bigger developments; taking Toronto out of the OMB, and insurance benefits for those with PTSD).
 
nfitz said:
Sure, at one point or another.

This was the piece of legislation that they thought important enough to introduce at their first opportunity of the new Parliament. (to be fair, they introduced 3 other things at the same time -affordable housing units in bigger developments; taking Toronto out of the OMB, and insurance benefits for those with PTSD).
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The timing is more important than anything....doing it first would "send a message" to the people they are directing it to that it is very very important to them while at the same time giving any collateral damage (people who don't like them introducing this bill) the maximum time to forget they did it!

I have reasons to never vote NDP....but them playing the same sort of games the other parties play is not really one of them....if they were really opposed to this train, they would have said so when it mattered...not wait until it didn't.
 
TOareaFan said:
The timing is more important than anything....doing it first would "send a message" to the people they are directing it to that it is very very important to them while at the same time giving any collateral damage (people who don't like them introducing this bill) the maximum time to forget they did it!

I have reasons to never vote NDP....but them playing the same sort of games the other parties play is not really one of them....if they were really opposed to this train, they would have said so when it mattered...not wait until it didn't.
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Some people vote strategically, instead of for the person or party. I have voted for the person or party in the past, but in the first-past-the-line voting, like we have currently, the wrong person or party gets in, and with a majority of people voting against that party.
 
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