The Town of Whitby has expressed its desire to be included in the planning process for Alto, the proposed high-speed rail network.
Durham is highlighted as the Crown corporation began its GTA open houses on February 12 in Pickering (see below).
Alto will link Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières and Québec City via around 1,000 km of dedicated tracks that are mostly electrified.
“Whitby is not identified as a station location, but publicly available information suggests that portions of the corridor may run north of Whitby and could intersect with existing rail or rural areas,” said a town statement.
Mayor Elizabeth Roy mentioned that she recently sent a letter to the federal minister of transportation emphasizing the importance of keeping the Town of Whitby updated as things progress and requesting:
A technical briefing for council and senior town staff Formal participation from the Town of Whitby in the consultation process Collaboration between Transport Canada, Metrolinx, Durham Region, and local municipalities to ensure the Alto project aligns with the Go Train expansion, local transportation networks, and long-term regional growth plans Early discussion of construction-related impacts, transportation connectivity, and regional economic development opportunities
A public consultation phase was active from January to March but has now been extended to April 24, according to Whitby.
Project Timeline
Construction will begin once approval is granted by the federal government. The network will be constructed in phases – with the first segment being Ottawa-Laval-Montréal.
Alto is currently in its development and pre-construction phase along with Cadence, its private developer partner. This phase is expected to last about four years.
Field studies are also ongoing and will provide baseline data on fish habitats, surface water quality, noise levels and terrestrial ecology.
After public consultation wraps up, the first segment of the project will undergo an environmental impact assessment that considers technical constraints, environmental issues, social acceptability, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
Economic Impact
Once finished, this network will enhance the economy with an estimated annual GDP increase of 1.1 percent for Canada. The project is set to create 51,000 jobs during construction along with thousands more during operation while generating $800 million in tourism revenue each year.
With speeds reaching over 300kmh or more, this network aims to support economic growth by reducing travel times while improving connections between people and communities which creates job opportunities and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
To learn more about this project or share your thoughts through virtual sessions or an online consultation platform visit https://www. altotrain. ca/en.
Related Story
Alto high-speed rail making progress at Durham PIC
You May Also Wish To Read
Residents help identify female involved in fake currency case
A 15-year-old accomplice stops victim from chasing phone thief
A false gun call to police leads to drugs found at Mc Donald’s
49 senior homes included in new development of 210 units
Teens armed with fake gun at school game robbed a victim earlier
(function(d, s, id){var js, fjs=d. get Elements By Tag Name(s)[0]; if(d. get Element By Id(id))return; js=d. create Element(s); js. id=id; js. src=”https://connect. facebook. net/en_CA/sdk. js#xfbml=1& app Id=249643311490&version=v2.3″; fjs. parent Node. insert Before(js, fjs);}(document,’script’,’facebook-jssdk’));
Source link
Source link
