The busiest “at grade rail crossing” in the City of Toronto is situated on Strachan Avenue, at the CN/CP and Georgetown/Milton rail corridor, south of King Street West. The number of trains (GO Transit, VIA, and cargo) along it will greatly increase as the Union Station to Pearson Airport Rail Link is built and Go Transit adds more lines. Strachan Avenue itself is heavily traveled in both north-bound and south-bound directions by vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Traffic is likely to increase along here, too, as Liberty Village and other nearby neighbourhoods develop.
A design charette considering the input of the public and stakeholders has led City Council to approve a motion supporting the “Grade Separation Option”—a solution to the area’s congestion which proposes lowering the Georgetown corridor. This would allow Strachan Avenue to pass over the rail lines. Along with our nearby neighbourhood residents, I firmly believe that the present rail crossing on Strachan Avenue has to be altered so that the increasingly heavy rail and road traffic are separated.
Our proposal – the one recommended by Council and which received unanimous approval at a recent Public Meeting – will be urban friendly, and its implementation will be determined through the environmental process. This is the first positive step toward reaching a final decision agreeable to all involved, and will ultimately improve the immediate community, its residents, and the city as a whole.
