Currently, there is just one set of tracks that runs close to several neighbourhoods west of Lansdowne Avenue and north from the main rail corridor that connects to Union Station. Under the expansion plan, crews are working to add a second set of tracks in the same corridor along with a multi-use path in parts. <\/p>\n
At Bloor Street West, there will be a new station to eventually accommodate future all-day, two-way train traffic that could see trains coming every 15 minutes in peak periods.<\/p>\n
Paula Heaney lives at a century-old building on St. Helens Avenue. She showed CityNews the impacts of the construction, and crews have cleared an area out less than five feet from the entrances to some people\u2019s units. She said crews have begun preparing a retaining wall next to where the path and station platform will eventually be going.<\/p>\n
Without noise protection, GO trains can quickly and briefly drown out conversations. Heaney said she and others have tried to get Metrolinx to respond to their concerns without luck, adding the organization hasn\u2019t acted as a good neighbour.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of one-way communication, they\u2019re not so bad, but when they\u2019re listening, they don\u2019t listen to feedback. They\u2019re not really engaging with us here at all about this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey either need to take some room from their path or their platform, but it can\u2019t be left like this. The actual platform will be here with the emergency bell, the announcement bell, and the horn that each train has designed in and out of the station for safety reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
Armin Krauss lives on the west side of the rail corridor and echoed Heaney\u2019s points. He is one of a few so frustrated with the state of things that he\u2019s hung a homemade banner calling for noise walls to be added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started moving in, there was a tree cover along the fence \u2026 dampening the sounds. The tracks were a bit further away, and it was one track. Now we have two tracks put in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trains that are going through here currently have these mufflers. In my opinion, they\u2019re still too loud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Krauss said rotating community relations staff mixed with unproductive community meetings organized by Metrolinx have left him and others feeling ignored. Just before speaking with CityNews and shortly after a news report on the same topic, he said transit agency staff were hand-delivering cards with links to the project\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you build a project, you should consult the people that are affected by it, which hasn\u2019t happened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Noah Frank lives beside Heaney. He said there was a brief period when a noise wall looked possible for all the homes where he lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cMetrolinx\u00a0had provided an offer to us, although it\u2019s not an official offer; they said they would consider covering up to 50 per cent of the cost of a noise wall should we build it ourselves on our side of the property line. But most of our ask has been, \u2018if you\u2019re already building a wall, why not just integrate in a noise barrier wall?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that really meaningful action has been taken. There\u2019s been some small steps that have been taken about better notification about construction timelines. But even that has sort of like faltered where we don\u2019t really see meaningful notification, or the noise monitoring equipment isn\u2019t actually adjacent to our properties.\u201d<\/p>\n
All of the concerned residents were banking on the promise of quieter trains on an electrified Barrie line, but it doesn\u2019t appear to be imminent. Metrolinx hasn\u2019t publicly released timeframes for overhauling the existing infrastructure, leaving noisier diesel-powered trains to operate along the corridor for an indefinite period of time.<\/p>\n
Dr. Christopher Bergevin, an associate professor with York University who focuses on auditory biophysics, said noise and sound can be pervasive in dense urban environments.<\/p>\n
\u201cSound is very good at finding ways to kind of get from one place to another because it\u2019s just vibrations, and those vibrations are highly transmissible,\u201d he told CityNews.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s surprising how you can have a source of noise in one place that can kind of end up somewhere, kind of downstream, that is highly perceptible and can be a real issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bergevin said while our ears are \u201cincredibly sensitive\u201d to sound, we\u2019ve gotten better at filtering out certain annoying types of sound. Despite that evolving filtration, it isn\u2019t universal and quality of life can be impacted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s vibration, and everything\u2019s connected. You know, all these buildings or everything\u2019s touching one another. Air is a great way to kind of propagate sound and whatnot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably the easiest way to kind of get started on reducing these effects of noise is to get rid of the sources as best you can, so if you can make things that are making noise quieter, that\u2019s going to kind of make life a little bit easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
CityNews contacted Metrolinx on Friday and Monday to ask for an on-camera interview about the various issues residents have been raising, but representatives said no one was available. <\/p>\n
However, a statement issued by Metrolinx\u2019s media relations office said planning for GO Transit expansion continues, including electrification efforts. Potential timeframes and potential next steps weren\u2019t included in the statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize that noise mitigation is important to our communities, and we remain committed to making thoughtful, effective decisions that balance long-term benefits with minimizing immediate disruptions,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFeasibility of noise walls within the Bloor-Lansdowne station were assessed by the design-builder of the project, who concluded that there was limited space for the construction of the walls in that particular location. <\/p>\n
\u201cMetrolinx has been studying point-of-emission noise mitigation that may prove more effective in mitigating noise.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement noted the bells are needed for safety purposes and are only used \u201cwhen necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, all the residents CityNews spoke with said they are supportive of transit and expanding access.<\/p>\n
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