The York Community Council recommends the adoption of the following motion by Councillor Saundercook:

WHEREAS Go Transit rail passenger ridership is up 9 percentage and bus ridership 35 percentage over the past year; and

WHEREAS Go Transit has just announced a $1.1 billion dollar expansion program; and

WHEREAS the provincial government has just announced a contribution of $106.5 million dollars of seed capital to Go Transit's capital program; and

WHEREAS the annual capital and operating costs of Go Transit are now the responsibility of Toronto and GTA regional governments; and

WHEREAS Go Transit has undertaken four studies in the recent past that recommend expanding the Go Transit system by constructing community rail stations across the City of Toronto; and

WHEREAS the current focus of Go expansion is on Union Station as opposed to disbursing Go passengers throughout the City of Toronto area closer to places of employment; and

WHEREAS this disbursement of passengers through construction of community stations could alleviate pressure on Union Station and stimulate revitalization of areas in need, like the lands known as the former York City Centre, where a Go Transit Station was designated;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that York Community Council express its concern to Go Transit that the expansion program, as presented to the Urban Environment and Development Committee on March 23, 1998, does not contain plans to construct community based stations like the one proposed at Black Creek Drive and Eglinton Avenue West, and that the York Community Council urges Go Transit to include the construction of this station in its capital program as soon as possible.