Thornhill neighbourhood vows to continue fight to keep subway extension on Yonge Street

Opposition to the Yonge North Subway Extension is stronger than ever regardless of a revised route introduced by Metrolinx in December and the addition of a Royal Orchard station.

Thornhill Coun. Keith Irish and the Hold the Subway on Yonge residents' group say the designation of Royal Orchard as a Transit-Oriented Neighborhood, to facilitate builders offsetting the prices of subway infrastructure, supplies an excellent stronger enterprise case for scrapping the extension’s present route, which tunnels below the Thornhill neighbourhood.

“Extra builders and companies would profit from ‘Most important Avenue’ publicity and storefront presence if the subway route goes straight up Yonge to Richmond Hill,” stated Irish.

That may additionally keep away from tunnelling below the neighborhood, which has lengthy been opposed not solely by many residents, but in addition Markham and Vaughan councils and the York Catholic District Faculty Board.

Metrolinx insists, nonetheless, its new inexperienced alignment takes the neighborhood’s issues under consideration whereas offering probably the most undertaking profit.

“Via our work, we've got lowered the variety of single-family residential properties that we're tunnelling beneath by 50 per cent and on common, 10 metres deeper beneath the neighborhood,” stated undertaking lead Stephen Collins throughout a digital open home Jan. 5. 

Thirty-five properties stay affected, with plans for subway tunnelling immediately beneath 20 houses and travelling beneath both the entrance or again yards of an extra 15.

Near 400 further residents are additionally impacted for the reason that new alignment will veer east of Yonge Avenue, beneath the 220-unit Gazebo condominium at 8111 Yonge St., earlier than travelling beneath Bay Thorn Drive, Pomona Creek and into the ultimate curve earlier than reaching the CN hall and eventual above-grade cease at Excessive Tech station in Richmond Hill.

Metrolinx appears “certain and decided” to go forward with a plan that it seems nobody desires, says Hold the Subway on Yonge committee member Peter Palframan.

“This isn't an answer, particularly once we've been in a position to present that there is a completely good different.”

Transit Motion Ontario (TAC), an impartial group of consultants, submitted two different routes to Metrolinx for evaluation, together with one which retains the subway alignment alongside Yonge Avenue earlier than angling to the east simply north of Holy Cross Cemetery and continuing by what's now an industrial space to the Excessive Tech station.

Regardless of being deemed “technically possible,” Metrolinx nixed the choice, saying it was extra advanced to construct and would price considerably greater than its inexperienced alignment.

“The capital and building price is a minimal of $230 million greater than our inexperienced alignment, which doesn't embody provisions for the numerous price impacts this route may have on the present permitted secondary plan and the timing for the plan to the Langstaff Gateway growth,” Collins stated.

Markham regional Coun. Don Hamilton stated the present route is clearly designed to accommodate the Langstaff growth pursuits because it deviates from Yonge to the center of the Langstaff lands. 

He added the difficulty issues the entire metropolis of Markham and never simply Thornhill residents.

“If the provincial authorities can impose their will in Thornhill, then they will achieve this anyplace in Markham. This lodging for future residents on the expense of present residents is just improper.”

Palframan agrees.

“The rights that they've given themselves, below this new constructing transit quicker initiative from the federal government, are surprising and they're sacrificing the current for the longer term as a result of they're utterly ignoring what's right here right now.”

Since Metrolinx introduced it was swapping out the unique Yonge Avenue alignment final March, the emotional drain has taken a toll on most of the neighborhood’s residents, stated fellow committee member Roz FitzPatrick.

“Stress, anxiousness and sleepless nights have been the norm as issues mount concerning the hostile environmental, financial, well being and social impacts of tunnelling below our houses, particularly as we all know there are different choices obtainable that hold the subway on Yonge,” FitzPatrick stated.

"Whereas getting a walkable Royal Orchard station is nice, there may be nonetheless no justification to have the subway tunnel below our neighbourhood."

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STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Reporter Heidi Riedner appeared into the native response to current developments for the Yonge subway extension to Richmond Hill and their affect on the Royal Orchard neighbourhood.