GUELPH POLITICAST #331 – The Edinburgh Conundrum

The rail crossing on Edinburgh Road has been the site of some controversy lately. The City of Guelph initiated the study of seven different street level rail crossings along the Metrolinx line across town, and they determined that there was one crossing that they had to look at a lot more closely. The implications could be big, so this week, we're going to sit down and talk things out.

Back in 2020, just a couple of weeks before you-know-what, the City of Guelph announced that they were closing the intersection at the Metrolinx train tracks near Kent Street along Dublin. The surrounding neighbourhood was angry about such a sweeping decision, but the issue was safety; the increased frequency of two-way GO trains through Guelph, and the increased speeds by which they travel, required a more cautious approach across the whole line.

That’s why the City’s transportation department started that public engagement on the seven crossings earlier this year, and why they wanted to take a closer look at Edinburgh Road. The potential options range from “do nothing” to constructing an overpass or underpass, which would mean properties in the area might have to be expropriated. That’s when the proverbial stuff hit the fan. People are concerned about their homes and businesses in the area, and they're not sure what to think about any of this.

That's where this week's podcast comes in. Jennifer Juste, Transportation Planning Manager at City Of Guelph, is the guest, and she's going to tell us step-by-step how we got here, and where we go next. She will talk about the all the players' roles, the changes coming to the Metrolinx line because of the expansion of service, and why the focus has landed on Edinburgh Road. She will also explain why this is the beginning of the process, not the end, and how you can stay informed as things develop.

So let's explain what's happening on Edinburgh on this week's Guelph Politicast!

You can stay up to date about the Environmental Assessment of the train tracks on Edinburgh by visiting the City's Have Your Say site. It’s too late to provide comments, but you can still subscribe to receive updates about the project. If you want to stay in touch with the Metrolinx side of things, they put out a monthly newsletter about the latest developments in Guelph and area.

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Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.