According to Inside Toronto, residents of the Mount Dennis neighbourhood — the area around Weston Road and Eglinton Avenue West — intend to ask the TTC to build the Eglinton Crosstown light rail Transit City line beneath, rather than through, their community.
And the local City councillors, Frances Nunziata and Frank Di Giorgio are hosting a public meeting this Thursday, February 11 to discuss the TTC’s plans for the line between Jane and Keele Streets.
An article by Inside Toronto’s Fannie Sunshine reports that residents say that the TTC must build the line underground through Mount Dennis so that it can reduce the amount of property it needs and lessen the noise and environmental impacts of the line. An underground line would also increase safety by allowing passengers to avoid crossing to a platform in the middle of the street.
The only positive to building the line above ground along Eglinton Avenue between Weston Road and Black Creek Drive, residents say, is cost. Building the route underground adds another $100 million to the total $4.6-billion cost for the line.
If the City and TTC bury the line, the City would not need to expropriate — or buy — as much property and would save about 8,500 square meters (92,000 square feet) of parkland. The current plan for an above-ground line requires the City to expropriate all of 26 properties and part of 10 more in Mount Dennis.
The TTC proposes to build a centre platform for passengers to board the LRT in both directions on the west side of the intersection of Weston Road and Eglinton Avenue West, between stops at Jane Street and Black Creek Drive.
Councillors Nunziata and Di Giorgio are hosting the meeting on Thursday to let residents meet with TTC staff and voice their concerns. During the meeting, TTC staff will explain the effects of running the Mount Dennis section of the line above- and below-ground.
The meeting takes place Thursday, February 11 from 7 until 9 p.m. at:
York Civic Centre, Council Chambers
2700 Eglinton Avenue West.
The Councillors and residents intend to make a presentation to the next meeting of the Toronto Transit Commission on Wednesday, February 17.
Subscribe to our news feed: (
