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jks
Continuous Lurker
drum118
Superstar
Yeah, what is he smoking?? The 'accelerated' EA was designed like a year before this 'relaunch' of Blue22. It was designed to fast-track all the MoveOntario 2020 projects to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible. The Weston Community Coalition is not only self-serving, but is now rambling non-sense. Get over it, I mean I wouldn't mind living literally beside the 'Blue22' tracks. (LOL of course that's cause I like watching trains go by)
The "NEW EA" was done because of the Blue22 issues and you can take that to the bank.
As a train watcher, I have sat at Weston or along the corridor to get some photo's or video's and love to see something new to shoot.
I watch in many areas of the GTA.
The Weston Coalition and GO are out of touch on transit on those corridor. I don't support Blue22 plan at all nor the trench idea.
I do support a trench that will start West of Weston Rd to Eglinton and would have CP in trench also. This way, everyone win's.
More stations need to be added to make this line a local service as well long haul express.
kEiThZ
Superstar
I sincerely hope the coalition uses every legal means possible to delay the project. That's the only way the private interests backing this project and the government will learn not to trample over neighbourhoods. Had they been absolutely opposed to the project, I would have had less sympathy for their cause. But here we have a citizens group that is proposing realistic, reasonably cost-effective solutions that will benefit all sides and the city, the province and private industry conspire to trample all over them.
CDL.TO
Moderator
Maybe letting the operators of line line design it themselves with no real oversight wasn't such a good idea.
The name's Lavalin. SNC Lavalin. And I come before you good people tonight with an idea. Probably the greatest... Aw, it's not for you. It's more of a European idea.
David Colenette: We're twice as smart as the people of Europe. Just tell us your idea, and we'll vote for it!
The name's Lavalin. SNC Lavalin. And I come before you good people tonight with an idea. Probably the greatest... Aw, it's not for you. It's more of a European idea.
David Colenette: We're twice as smart as the people of Europe. Just tell us your idea, and we'll vote for it!
kEiThZ
Superstar
Let's not forget Miller's role in this. In his enthusiasm to sink Porter and the Island, he was more than willing to throw the good people of Weston under the bus. The get labelled NIMBYs and he comes off looking like a hero who pulled off what the city failed to do for decades.
rbt
Senior Member
Fixed that for ya.
Many EAs were requiring a much larger budget than should have been given the cost and severity of implementation.
There were too many ways to filibuster the process.
I'd like to see wind farm EAs get a predictable timeframe as well. Too much "great idea but somewhere else" going on in these things.
waterloowarrior
Senior Member
rbt
Senior Member
toraerach
Active Member
As long as it doesn't speed up "green" nuclear power projects too this is good news indeed.
isittimetomoveyet
Active Member
Off topic I know... but I do not know of any other forums that mention this stuff...
Apparently we could see something very very progressive from a North American perspective... even outdoing California. The essence of the Green Energy Act is to follow the model German legislation that has resulted in over 400,000 related jobs being created, since its inception. More info at http://www.greenenergyact.ca/
junctionist
Senior Member
This article assumes the Weston residents are a NIMBY group.
Truly environmental
Globe and Mail
January 19, 2009
The proposed rail link between Toronto's Union Station and Pearson International Airport is precisely the sort of project governments should be investing in, as they seek to boost infrastructure spending. It is also a prime example of how an overreaching environmental assessment process can work against the public interest, and why John Baird, the federal Minister of Infrastructure, is right to seek ways to accelerate approvals.
The planned train route, known as the "Blue 22," would do more than create jobs and pump government funds into a troubled economy (though it would do that, too); it would have benefit long past the end of the recession, and indeed was being considered long before it started. Providing easier access to the country's largest airport from the heart of its financial capital would be a boon to productivity. And perhaps the greatest benefit would be environmental, since allowing travellers to take a short train trip to the airport rather than a long car ride (particularly at peak hours of congestion) would significantly reduce pollution.
More than a decade after the Blue 22 was first proposed, however, there has yet to be a shovel in the ground. In recent years, it has been bogged down in an environmental assessment that - as is often the case with infrastructure projects - has drifted far away from real environmental concerns. It became instead a forum for local residents to fight the development on the ground that they don't want the train to run through their neighbourhoods. While that is a fair concern that governments should take into consideration when planning, it is a social issue - not an environmental one.
In hope of accelerating such developments, the Ontario government introduced a new regulation last year that allows for more limited assessments that would take about six months rather than the standard two to three years. Now that the Crown corporation advancing the rail link has adopted the accelerated process, residents are up in arms; the head of the Weston Community Coalition recently speculated that "only lip service" would be paid to the "impact on the local community" and speculated that "the 'accelerated' EA was designed specifically for this project."
If so, it should be applied to more projects like it - and not just in Ontario. While there is room to reduce overlap between the federal and provincial governments, it is essential that one level or the other look closely at the risk for any environmental degradation. But worthwhile projects should not be delayed for years while environmental assessments are co-opted by activists. And at a time when "shovel-readiness" is considered a prerequisite, there is no reason relatively simple projects should require longer than six months to address.
Truly environmental
Globe and Mail
January 19, 2009
The proposed rail link between Toronto's Union Station and Pearson International Airport is precisely the sort of project governments should be investing in, as they seek to boost infrastructure spending. It is also a prime example of how an overreaching environmental assessment process can work against the public interest, and why John Baird, the federal Minister of Infrastructure, is right to seek ways to accelerate approvals.
The planned train route, known as the "Blue 22," would do more than create jobs and pump government funds into a troubled economy (though it would do that, too); it would have benefit long past the end of the recession, and indeed was being considered long before it started. Providing easier access to the country's largest airport from the heart of its financial capital would be a boon to productivity. And perhaps the greatest benefit would be environmental, since allowing travellers to take a short train trip to the airport rather than a long car ride (particularly at peak hours of congestion) would significantly reduce pollution.
More than a decade after the Blue 22 was first proposed, however, there has yet to be a shovel in the ground. In recent years, it has been bogged down in an environmental assessment that - as is often the case with infrastructure projects - has drifted far away from real environmental concerns. It became instead a forum for local residents to fight the development on the ground that they don't want the train to run through their neighbourhoods. While that is a fair concern that governments should take into consideration when planning, it is a social issue - not an environmental one.
In hope of accelerating such developments, the Ontario government introduced a new regulation last year that allows for more limited assessments that would take about six months rather than the standard two to three years. Now that the Crown corporation advancing the rail link has adopted the accelerated process, residents are up in arms; the head of the Weston Community Coalition recently speculated that "only lip service" would be paid to the "impact on the local community" and speculated that "the 'accelerated' EA was designed specifically for this project."
If so, it should be applied to more projects like it - and not just in Ontario. While there is room to reduce overlap between the federal and provincial governments, it is essential that one level or the other look closely at the risk for any environmental degradation. But worthwhile projects should not be delayed for years while environmental assessments are co-opted by activists. And at a time when "shovel-readiness" is considered a prerequisite, there is no reason relatively simple projects should require longer than six months to address.
ShonTron
Moderator
Member Bio
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 12,730
- Reaction score
- 10,061
- Location
- Ward 13 - Toronto Centre
I already sent a letter to the editor demanding an apology to the good people of Weston. The editorial has its facts wrong anyway.
TOareaFan
Superstar
really? which ones....'cause I read this and got a sort of "right on, somebody should have said that long ago" feeling.
ShonTron
Moderator
Member Bio
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 12,730
- Reaction score
- 10,061
- Location
- Ward 13 - Toronto Centre
ToareaFan: From what I remember, you're a Brampton resident, right?
The Blue 22 plan screwed Brampton. I even had a fight with a prominent Mississauga booster here about all that. That's one of many reasons why I have problems with Blue 22.
The Blue 22 plan screwed Brampton. I even had a fight with a prominent Mississauga booster here about all that. That's one of many reasons why I have problems with Blue 22.
