Results tagged “thecleantraincoalition”

Yesterday, Ontario's minister of the environment gave his approval to Metrolinx's Georgetown South Service Expansion/Union-Pearson Rail Link (GSSE/UPRL) project. The minister's decision is the final step in the project's provincial environmental assessment process. The project will be a boon to transit in the GTA, but not everyone is pleased.

Last month we reported on the activities of an alliance of individuals and community groups called The Clean Train Coalition, who at that time were just beginning their effort to promote public awareness of some of the environmental hazards, including increased air pollution from diesel exhaust, posed by a rail expansion plan by Metrolinx, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area's new regional transit authority. The plan, currently in its third round of public "open house" commentary periods, will receive community input until the close of its provincially mandated public assessment period on July 30. If the plan were to go ahead unchanged, the result would be the addition of enough tracks to the rail corridor between Union Station and Malton to enable carriers to increase VIA, GO, and freight train traffic to several times current levels. The plan would also would establish a convenient rail link between Union Station and Pearson Airport, to be operated by a private carrier.