Rail Traffic Bell Ringing Noise Mitigation Strategies - by Councillor Ana Bailão, seconded by Councillor Frances Nunziata

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The decision

2021-12-15 · Toronto City Council · adopted

As filed

City Council on December 15, 16 and 17, 2021, adopted the following: 1. City Council direct the City Manager and the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure and Development Services to engage with the President and Chief Executive Officer of Metrolinx, and appropriate staff of the Provincial transit agency, to request and require that they develop and outline how they will cease the use of bell ringing by trains within the

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City of Toronto and City Council request that a relevant update report be provided to the March 24, 2022 Economic and Community Development Committee.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

The challenges of urban living in the City of Toronto are clear to all who call the City home. Many of these are issues which cannot be easily resolved but those that can significantly improve quality of life in our communities must be addressed. One such issue that has significantly impacted residents in my Davenport community, and communities surrounding it, is bell-ringing associated with trains operated by the Provincial transit agency, Metrolinx (GO Transit).

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As ward Councillor for the Davenport community, I have joined with local residents in calling on Metrolinx to mitigate the impacts on quality of life associated with the bell-ringing connected to their trains. Metrolinx had committed to a pilot project to consider alternatives but there is no indication that this initiative has actually commenced and the lack of clarity on this messaging has created confusion. For some time Metrolinx had maintained that federal railway legislation precluded them from ending or seeking alternatives to bell-ringing. Correspondence from the then federal Minister of Transport in 2019 clearly stated that this was not the case for rail lines operated by Metrolinx and therefore alternatives to bell-ringing can be safely put in place. This is just not a local community issue for residents of Davenport or nearby neighbourhoods. As well as existing provincial rail infrastructure, major rail transit projects are either underway or will soon commence. The issue of bell-ringing is impacting many communities like the Davenport community but with transit expansion planned and underway this will become an exponentially increasing issue at many stations. As a City, we must take the initiative to ensure that Metrolinx undertakes meaningful and expeditious actions that will lead to solutions both in the short and long term to the issue of loud bell-ringing from their trains.

Staff recommended

Councillor Ana Bailão, seconded by Councillor Frances Nunziata, recommend that: 1. City Council direct the City Manager and the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure and Development Services to engage with the President and Chief Executive Officer of Metrolinx, and appropriate staff of the Provincial transit agency, to request and require that they develop and outline how they will cease the use of bell ringing by

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trains within the City of Toronto and City Council request that a relevant update report be provided to the March 24, 2022 Economic and Community Development Committee.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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