December 19th, 2011 – Toronto

The Premier made the announcement today of the building of the ‘spur line’ between the Georgetown Corridor and the Airport to great fanfare — we say ‘nothing new’. Residents who have been following this debacle for almost 7 years will know the spur line has always been a necessary entity for the Air Rail Link as the Corridor is a full 3km away from the Airport and without it, the ARL won’t work for its purpose – to get people from Union Station to the Airport and vice versa. SNC-Lavalin, the original P3 partner in this project and the one building the spur line, bailed almost a year and a half ago as they couldn’t get financing (someone realized a diesel line was a poor bet), so the province needed to come up with another plan to spend the money to build it.

Premier McGuinty must have thought he was spreading some Christmas cheer with this announcement but we say it’s just another lump of coal in our stockings. We encourage better public transit with an electrified line and multiple stops, not just a quick run through all the west-end neighbourhoods who will suffer the noise and diesel fumes without being able to ride it. We deserve better. And our tax dollars could be spent better. Build it once, built it right!

Attached are the links to the various media who have filed stories regarding this ‘spurious’ announcement (pun intended!).

http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111219/111219_pearson_link/20111219/?hub=CP24Home

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1104270–construction-to-start-in-spring-on-airport-rail-link?bn=1

http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2011/12/air-rail-link-to-pearson-airport-will-create-jobs-and-strengthen-economy.html

http://www.globaltoronto.com/mcguinty+announces+construction+of+link+between+union+station+and+pearson/6442545107/story.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/12/19/toronto-airport-link.html

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/19/construction-to-start-this-spring-on-union-pearson-air-rail-link/

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111219/rail-link-airport-union-station-construction-111219/20111219/?hub=TorontoNewHome

In conjunction with this announcement, former CTC Co-Chair Mike Sullivan, now MP for York South-Weston, had an Op-Ed piece in the Toronto Star. A very timely and well worded piece — please share and post to your Facebook page!

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1103616–the-ever-flawed-pearson-rail-link

And finally, a NOW article from this week where we are also quoted:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/news/story.cfm?content=184426

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FACT:  Despite a lot of talk about electric trains, Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government has approved plans to operate 140 diesel trains daily, 20 hours per day on the rail corridor that runs across our neighbourhoods between Union Station and Pearson Airport.

FACT:  The McGuinty government also approved plans to expand the use of diesel trains by GO Transit commuter services on this same rail corridor.

FACT:  The McGuinty government is buying its diesel trains from companies outside Ontario.

FACT:  The McGuinty government has not approved funding to convert their foreign-built diesels to electric operation later – just more studies.  They don’t want you to know this.

FACT:  The McGuinty government’s transit agency, Metrolinx, has spent your tax dollars trying to confuse residents with misleading advertising about the government’s diesel plans.  Advertising Standards Canada has determined this.

The McGuinty government’s diesel plans must be scrapped, because:

• Diesel trains cause dangerous online air pollution.
• Diesel trains are so noisy that a 10-kilometre-long sound barrier will be required – but it still won’t spare apartment or condo residents from the noise if they live above the third floor.
• Diesel trains are not suited for making frequent stops to serve our neighbourhoods.
• Electric trains are green, clean, quiet and fast.
• Electric trains can operate like above-ground subways, making more stops to serve our neighbourhoods, connect with our local transit lines and benefit our local economies.
• Electric trains are less expensive to operate – and even Metrolinx studies prove this.

The Pan Am Games are no excuse!

The McGuinty government claims it must push ahead with diesel trains so the Airport Rail Link will be ready for the 2015 Pan Am Games.  Our communities should not suffer for years with the pollution and noise from more diesel trains because of a two-week sporting event.

Before you vote on October 6, ask your candidates if they support the McGuinty diesel train plan or if they will commit to building it right!