Mimico residents vow to keep pressure on Metrolinx to make local GO station accessible

South Etobicoke residents are vowing to continue the pressure on Metrolinx to make the GO station in their area more accessible, despite reassurances from the provincial transit agency that improvements are coming.

On Tuesday, residents gathered near the Mimico GO station to demand that Metrolinx begin work as soon as possible. A Metrolinx representative told residents at the demonstration that the Ontario government has awarded a contract to begin the design phase of planned accessibility upgrades at the station.

There is no start date for construction.

Rozhen Asrani, president of the Mimico Residents Association, said Tuesday that residents have been waiting for Metrolinx to break ground on accessibility updates to the station for about a decade.

Previous projects to make the station more accessible were linked to larger developments of the area that included housing. Two projects collapsed, one in 2023 and one in 2012.

"The community is very frustrated. Patience has run out. It's been a decade of a lack of accessibility and multiple failed promises by Metrolinx," Asrani said.

There is no elevator at the station.

"It's difficult to get to," said Asrani. "There are all kinds of issues for people who use strollers, have mobility constraints, bicycles they are trying to get up and down the stairs. There are lots of barriers." 

Asrani said residents were promised by Metrolinx that the station would be fully accessible by 2023 but that did not happen. Now, she said, there are no new project completion dates and no clear timelines. 

Asrani said that's unacceptable and is violation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The community is growing and residents deserve to have an accessible transit station, she added.

"An announcement of a contract is great, but what we really need is shovels in the ground and actual timelines," Asrani said.

Contract awarded to begin planning, Metrolinx says

In a statement on Tuesday, Metrolinx noted that the Ontario Ministry of Transportation announced on May 14 that a contract was awarded for "design development and construction management services to support accessibility upgrades and other enhancements at Mimico GO."

Metrolinx added: "The station improvement project will provide better connections and improved amenities to ensure a seamless and barrier-free experience for customers travelling across the GO network. 

When the development phase is complete, Metrolinx said the contractor will submit a proposed construction schedule and associated costs. If approved, a construction contract will be awarded, at which point project timelines will be more clearly defined, Metrolinx said.

Metrolinx said it is "fully committed" to meeting its obligations under the AODA and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation.

'People are feeling a bit disappointed,' MPP says

Lee Fairclough, MPP for Etobicoke Lakeshore, said the community is concerned because accessibility upgrades have been delayed for years. A person who arrives at the station in a wheelchair would not be able to get down from the platform, she said. Someone using a walker or crutches would have to navigate steep stairs, she said.

"People are feeling a bit disappointed," Fairclough said. "Glad that we're moving ahead... But as a community and as a representative, we're going to keep on making sure there is pressure to make it happen."

Fairclough said Metrolinx is taking full responsibility for ensuring that the station will be accessible.

"I think that gives some encouragement to the community that this is going to happen," she said.

The residents association has gathered nearly 1,000 signatures on a petition to have Metrolinx start construction this year, and Fairclough says she plans to table the petition formally at Queen's Park on Wednesday.

Improvements overdue, says councillor

Coun. Amber Morley, who represents Etobicoke-Lakeshore, said collaboration is needed and the accessibility improvements are overdue.

In the past three years, Morley said she has told Metrolinx repeatedly that the community is frustrated and pointed out that previous agreements with private developers have been ineffective.

"We've all come to a space where we understand and appreciate those challenges but are very focused on moving forward and delivering for community," she said.

In its statement, Metrolinx said the proposed improvements at the station include:

• A new east connection with elevator and stair access to the platform level, with customer access from both sides of the rail corridor.
• A new south entrance at Manchester Street and Blue Goose Street with elevator and stair connections to the platforms.
• Platform upgrades, including "tactile walking surface indicators" at the edge of the platform.
• Accessibility and customer experience upgrades to platforms and shelters.