Etobicoke Councillor Mark Grimes says he wants to meet with developer First Capital Realty to negotiate transit hub on former Mr. Christie’s plant
The Etobicoke Guardian’s Rahul Gupta interviewed Mike Olivier for an article on the pressing transit needs of South Etobicoke.
“Traffic is only going to get worse and we’re going to have to move a lot of people,” said Olivier who. along with SETAC, successfully petitioned the city to study relocating the Humber streetcar loop, along with creating a dedicated right-of-way, from St. Joseph Hospital to Exhibition Place.
“It’s not just Humber Bay Shores (that) is the issue,” he said. “All the way to Long Branch we currently rely on a Third World transit line.”
Olivier understood Metrolinx’s decision to reject Parklawn given the tight timeline of the RER expansion, which the province has promised to complete in less than 10 years. But he said expansion improvements currently underway at Mimico GO won’t end up helping the residents of Humber Bay Shores.
“The local politicians see the need and so do the residents so where there’s the political will, there should be a way,” he said.
Councillor Grimes and Mike Olivier do see the problem and residents are aware of the efforts being made. The rejection of the Go station was disappointing for all of us hoping to see even partial resolution to the Lakeshore bottleneck at humber bay.
One thing I’m not clear about is whether the area is being considered holistically. For example, there are plans for humber bay west park to become a destination park, which would drive even more traffic to the area. On weekends, it is already very busy here. It’s not just rush hour. Anytime the Gardiner is closed or backed up, Lakeshore takes the overflow.
Communication between all stakeholders would be helpful including more consultation with area residents. I’ve seen statements made that are attributed to residents not feeling there is a concern (not here) and yet I have not heard any of these statements from a single neighbour, most who feel helpless to impact change. A session held in humber bay with notification to all condo boards along marine parade would go a long way to finding out the true opinions, challenges and opportunities for the neighbourhood. Just a thought. When the final buildings are completed, this will be so much worse!
Thanks for your comments Michelle,
In short, SETAC certainly agrees that things are not fine as they are. Even if they were, transit infrastructure planning needs to anticipate future needs, and not wait until a crisis arises to respond. We are arguably already in the midst of a crisis that is only set to intensify as additional developments are completed.
You mentioned that “One thing I’m not clear about is whether the area is being considered holistically.”
In fact, the City Transportation Planning office will be initiating the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) soon. This exercise has been long delayed (back in September 2013 it was claimed it would be completed by end of 2014) but will look at numerous older and distinct studies or plans together. There will be more information about the components of the TMP posted to SETAC.ca in the weeks and months to come, and we will certainly post the dates of any public consultations.
For now though, the EAs, plans, etc. that will be considered within the TMP include:
“South Etobicoke / Lakeshore Corridor Transportation Overview” (1990)
“Mimico/Park Lawn Gateway Study” (1991)
“Motel Strip Secondary Plan” (1992, updated 2010)
“Waterfront West LRT Environmental Assessment” (1993)
“Lake Shore Boulevard Functional Design Study” (2002)
“Bonar Creek Stormwater Management Facility and Legion Road
Environmental Assessment” (2009)
“Mimico-by-the-Lake Secondary Plan” (2013)
“Mimico GO Station Relocation proposal” (2013)
In addition, the city had been in discussion with Metrolinx regarding potential locations for an additional GO station, so even if the station does not go ahead at this time, the land for it could still be preserved.
– The Lake Shore Boulevard Functional Design Study envisions Lake Shore Blvd. W between Park Lawn and Humber Loop with all necessary turning lanes, two lanes of through traffic in either direction, and a dedicated right-of-way for the streetcar. That would be a significant improvement for transit at any rate. With the westernmost development underway, the city now owns the additional property frontages to widen the boulevard as needed.
– The Bonar Creek Stormwater Management Facility and Legion Road looks at a potential rail underpass to connect Legion Rd. S and N, as well as the land set aside for the stormwater collection, which has (separately) previously been considered a potential turnback loop for an LRT.
Between the TMP and the Waterfront Reset, we are hopefully arriving at a point in time where significant plans and associated investments are allocated for South Etobicoke. But it won’t happen without residents and business owners vocally demanding action.
Regards,
David