Monique Drepaul presenting ideas on the issues facing Toronto as it revamps its city transport.

Monique Drepaul has been active in presenting ideas on behalf of her BIA on the issues facing Toronto as it revamps its city transport.  On Tuesday October 7^th she spoke as a panel expert (giving the BIA's perspective) for TCAT's Complete Streets Forum yesterday.

 Monique is executive coordinator of the Eglinton Way Business Development Association. This association has been very active in presenting ideas to Metrolinkx as it redesigns Toronto’s transportation look. The Eglinton Way BIA is projecting an innovative look for its area under the theme Style Lives Here.

Eglinton Connects is about planning for the future Eglinton Avenue, and how to best leverage investment in rapid transit for the benefit of Toronto and its communities.

 Metrolinx is investing approximately $5 billion in the design and construction of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) line. This new transit infrastructure is expected to be complete by 2020 and will run between Weston Road in the west, and Kennedy subway station in the east.

The construction of the Crosstown will significantly improve mobility and transportation options for Torontonians, while also bringing a number of planning opportunities and challenges.

The City of Toronto is undertaking Eglinton Connects, a comprehensive planning study along the length of the Eglinton Avenue corridor, to prepare for these challenges, and to realize the opportunities for the communities along the line. 

Much of the groundwork is already complete. This was achieved through other processes and efforts, including public consultation. For example, much of Eglinton is an ‘Avenue’ in Toronto’s Official Plan, which means it is identified as an area where further intensification is encouraged. 

Additionally, an Environmental Assessment was completed for the LRT, which contains approved transit designs, and portions of the Eglinton transit corridor streetscape (where the LRT will run in the centre of the street). We also know that the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Line will run underground between Black Creek in the west and Laird in the east. All of these previously made decisions, and many others, guided the development of this Study.