There is public criticism on social media as well as by a councillor and a retired engineering professional over the announced closure for two years of part of Simcoe Street in Oshawa.
“It has been a long time since I have seen a provincial agency spew such absolute lies and nonsense, but Metrolinx has set a new standard for arrogance, and outright disinformation,” said Oshawa Councillor Brian Nicholson.
The claim of disinformation has been levelled also by a retired engineer, who hoped the promised public meetings on the Simcoe closure “aren’t like the useless drop-ins in the past by Metrolinx where they simply refer the public to websites”.
“It took approximately 2.5 years to build the SkyDome [Rogers Centre] in Toronto. Perhaps someone can explain why a bridge over train tracks will take almost the same amount of time?” asked a resident.
Closure A Metrolinx Choice
Regional Councillor Nicholson said this closure is not a requirement but Metrolinx’s choice. “Full closure could be avoided by the installation of temporary bridges on both sides of the current bridge which would keep traffic moving and still allow for the permanent replacement of the current bridge.”
He pointed out that the excuse of public safety is both a “distortion and an excuse. The construction schedule and design choice was made by Metrolinx without any consultation with the community, local business and representatives of the Oshawa and Durham Councils.”
On the proposed two-year closure and its traffic impacts, the councillor said the City of Oshawa Council unanimously sent a letter to Metrolinx offering to work with them to reduce the community impacts of their choice for Simcoe Street South. “This letter was sent almost two months ago and we still have no response from them. Our city staff rejected their design proposal and construction schedule and were ignored.”
You Will Be Told Not Asked
Regarding the elements of the bridge replacement, Nicholson said residents will “be told and not asked. Your input is not requested nor required by Metrolinx. Alleged community participation is a fraud.”
He pointed out that with Simcoe Street closed north of Albany Street, it will send all the traffic from Simcoe onto Albany, a local two-lane residential road. “This so-called plan is just a prelude to chaos and severe intrusion into the neighbouring residential communities.”
Call And Demand Real Consultation
Regarding detours of DRT bus routes, Nicholson said this is trying to dump the responsibility for detours on to Durham Transit when in fact Durham Transit was told, not asked for their input.
The councillor urged residents to call and demand real community consultation. “Call every day until they agree…ask to be linked to the project manager.”
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One, Metrolinx does not pay for anything in Ontario. Ontario tax players pay for anything that Metrolinx constructs. Two. The idea of two temporary temporary bridges is ridiculous. Never been done in Ontario across 401 but if Oshawa is willing to pay half of bridge construction then maybe the people of Ontario would be willing to pay half. Four. Yes Simcoe Street bridge construction is going to be a real pain but the bridge has to be reconstructed to both expand go train and extra lanes on 401. Five. Must be a municipal election coming up. Went to the cp Christmas Train in oshawa. Had to listen to 2 Oshawa politians speak for 10 minutes. Now Brian Nicholson is commanding the headlins.
The Simcoe bridge fiasco is the result of prior decisions by both Metrolinx and Oshawa City Council to put a GO Train station at the development site on First Avenue (next to the CP rail line at the north end of the property). This would involve extending the GO Trains east from Durham College Oshawa station, and then taking them (with a HARD LEFT TURN) north over the 401 (with a new bridge over the 401). Then, the GO Train would take a HARD RIGHT TURN when it reaches the CP tracks, and continue to the Simcoe/Ritson site. GO Trains are HEAVY RAIL–12 car, double-decker behemoths pulled by diesel engines that are slow to start and slow to stop. They are regional transit, meant to be on a straight-away, with stations at least 3 kilometres apart. They are not meant to take convoluted turns to serve a Transit-Oriented-Community (TOC) inside an urban area (that would be best served by local transit). It will NEVER HAPPEN but make a mess along the way. Metrolinx is not a transit agency. It is a business organization that privatizes transit projects and hands over the financing, construction, and MANAGEMENT to a private consortium–so there is no accountability. Witness the 14 year fiasco of the Eglinton LRT in Toronto.
From Joell Vanderwagen, transit planner
Does anyone realize how inexpensive and easy it would have been to extend GO service along the CN lines south of the 401? All these people wining about downtown disruption are the same people DEMANDING the Go station be closer to downtown and the ” Crackhead Expressway” otherwise known as the Michael Star Trail. How did these people think the train was going to get there? Oh yes, winers who never had a job have a hard time visualizing what their demands take to be completed. Be careful what you ask for. I guess when you aren’t paying for anything it’s easy to ask for everything.