Here’s the letter I wrote to my MPP about the sucky problems with transit in Weston

Minister Cordiano,

I am writing to you in the hope that my recent move from the downtown core to the historic neighborhood of Weston will not turn out to be a choice I regret.

As my local Member of Provincial Parliament, I am depending on your advocacy to communicate my displeasure at the proposed aboveground direct rail line from Union Station to Pearson International Airport. Although I am a strong proponent of public transit, and I believe that the creation of this service is in essence a good idea, I cannot condone the economic damage that a raised rail service would do to our community. Cutting off motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic between the residential area east of the rail lines and Weston road would cause an enormous shift in local spending habits and traffic flow which would not be resolved by re-routing traffic south to Lawrence or north to Crossroads Mall.

In fact, I don’t see how it would be possible for small independent business owners in the area to continue operating at all, given the upcoming Loblaws superstore that will soon be moving into the north end of the community. As Minister of Economic Development and Trade, with an MBA and entrepreneurial experience, I know you are intimately aware of how delicate the balance is in small communities; it’s a short ride from a bustling main street to a row of empty windows with “for lease” signs hanging in them.

An underground rail line may require more investment in the way of initial capital expenditure, but it would ensure the continuing revitalization of this tough little community that has survived industrial closures and economic depression, and is struggling to regain its foothold as a family-friendly borough of the GTA. While I am in no way a rail expert, I can only imagine that a tunnel would also be safer in terms of restricted access to prevent accidents happening to neighborhood children, as well as providing smoother operation in winter when ice and snow often cause malfunctions in aboveground switches.

I will be present at the April 28th neighborhood meeting being held to discuss this proposed service, and will endorse the choice that makes the most sense, in terms of both finance and safety, for my new home. I hope to see you in attendance, as well.

There are two other important transportation issues I would like to address:

First, the lack of bicycle posts anywhere at the Crossroads Mall. I understand that this may not be a municipal matter, since the land is likely privately owned and operated, but it is both a safety and environmental issue and therefore of concern to everyone. If bicycle posts on that property are not within the domain of local government, could someone in your office please direct me to whomever it is I should contact to see that some form of lock-up for bikes are installed?

Secondly, the deplorable lack of weekend and holiday service on the Georgetown GOTrain line. This is a provincial issue, and I would like you to speak to your fellow Cabinet Minister, the Hon. Harinder Takhar, to communicate your constituents’ displeasure. Many of us who work on weekends would appreciate a swifter form of transit than the bus and subway on Saturday and Sunday. The issue may be that there is currently insufficient usage to warrant keeping the lines running, but surely one morning train running downtown and one evening train running back up on a Saturday and Sunday would generate more riders than, say, the 11:43pm train leaving Union for Burlington that runs seven days a week. It is absurd that the Lakeshore line gets trains every hour on the hour all day every day and we cannot even have one train running into and out of Union station on weekends.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my concerns about the growth and safety of our community. I appreciate the work you do for me as my MPP, and the representation you provide us with in the Legislature. I’ll be sure to watch for your address of these concerns when the house is in session.

Sincerely,
(pipesdreams)