Following on the last provincial election, and throughout the recent municipal election, there has been much discussion of how regional transit infrastructure can support residents within the City of Toronto. Mayor John Tory’s Smart Track Plan advocates for using rail corridors for “surface subways” while Premier Kathleen Wynne has promoted GO electrification and better service frequency within 10 years.
South Etobicoke stands to benefit from these infrastructure development plans. The electrification of GO service would permit the addition of smaller urban stations (such as the Exhibition station) in locations such as the Park Lawn Ave and Lake Shore Blvd W area. Additional stations on an electrified line can add service without increasing travel time due to faster acceleration and deceleration capabilities.
Peter Milczyn, the Provincial Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, has indicated that he supports these initiatives and will make them a priority. In the most recent issue of The Lakeshore Villages (Vol 7 Issue 5 Winter Edition) he summarized his intentions:
The 2014 Ontario budget contained a new $29 billion commitment towards building new and improved transit with $15 billion allocated for the GTA. Electrification and expansion of the GO Train network is central to those plans. The electrification of the Lakeshore Line will make new stations, in closer spacing, along the line possible. The creation of a new station in the Parklawn/Humber Loop area, adjacent to the former Christie site, is a local priority. I will be working with our local Councillor, City Planning staff, and Metrolinx to achieve this goal.
During the municipal election Councillor Grimes also expressed support for Smart Track, the addition of a GO station at Park Lawn, and the creation of a transit hub at Park Lawn Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd W.
Do you support these transit and transportation infrastructure improvements for South Etobicoke? If so, let your municipal and provincial representatives know, and urge them to make this work a priority.