Once the environmental assessment process is approved and completed, construction on the SRT will begin in 2011 and is scheduled to be completed in 2013. During this time, trains won’t be running between Kennedy and Scarborough Town Centre Stations. This means that temporary buses and terminals will be operating in this area.
This project will also replace the existing SRT vehicles which are near (or past) the end of their useful lives. They are to be replaced with new light rail trains; 95m long LRTs replacing the existing 50m long RTs.
Residents could submit feedback to the project plans through comment sheets provided by TTC staff. The sheets asked residents to consider two service connection options (at Progress Ave or a direct connection to Sheppard) as well as comment on the construction of the Sheppard East Station. The conversations people had with consultants and other TTC staff appeared to be mostly for the benefit of the residents themselves and not those planning this project; it sure didn’t look like anyone was taking notes.
Overall, the public meeting was very calm and gave a few residents the opportunity to browse the TTC's plans. However, can this really be called community engagement? 60 plus people in the area dropped in and were allowed to fill out comment sheets. TTCriders are definitely interested to learn how the TTC and its partners plan to engage the tens of thousands of other residents who will be impacted by the construction of this project?
We're now off to attend the next open house.
http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/scarborough_rapid_transit/
We’ll see if this one speaks to a wider audience or is more of the same.
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