Residents turn out for first of several open houses

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Hammering out design details for the Jane Street Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, such as whether a portion of the line will head underground, will be decided during the Environmental Assessment (EA) process.

The city held its first of two public open houses Tuesday, Aug. 26 on the proposed Jane Street LRT, which would run along Jane Street from Bloor Street to Steeles Avenue, turning east to the future Steeles Avenue West subway station at York University.

The open house at Jane Finch Mall drew a mixed reaction from residents, who marvelled at the future of transportation in the city, but were concerned with construction interruptions and distances between stops.

"I think the city is heading in the right direction, but what happens if you live in between stops?" asked resident Chris MacDonell. "It's a long way to walk, especially if you are older or need assistance."

LRTs are electronic powered rail vehicles with power supplied from overhead wires. The vehicles can be operated individually or attached together and operated as trains. There is normally a much greater distance between stops compared to the stops on a typical bus route.

The 14.5-kilometre, $800-million Jane Street LRT route will operate in the middle of the street in dedicated lanes and connect with the proposed Eglinton Crosstown and Etobicoke Finch West LRT lines.

The exact locations and number of LRT stops are still in the works. The city forecasts ridership for the Jane Street LRT to hit 19 million annually in 2021. By 2031, a growth in population along the route could push ridership to 1,700 to 2,200 people per hour in a single direction at the busiest point on the line.

Project manager Iqbal Hassan said if the route is designed above ground and all studies and approvals are in place, construction could begin in' 2013/'14, with a completion date of 2017/'18.

"There are a lot of variables," he said, adding if portions of the route are underground it would push back the construction time slot.

The distance between stops is currently set at 500 metres, Hassan said, noting residents have expressed dislike for the spacing but said the trade-off is faster service.

"It's walking distance versus faster service," he said. "You might have to walk a bit, but you'll have more reliable service and faster service. The whole idea is to encourage use of the transit system."

The Jane Street LRT will be funded by the provincial and federal governments.

A second open house is set for Thursday, Aug. 28 at Syme Woolner Community School in the Jane Street and St. Clair Avenue area. Additional open houses are scheduled for December 2008 and March 2009. The EA is expected to be completed next August.

The Jane Street LRT project proposal can be viewed online at www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/jane_lrt/index.htm.