There’s a huge controversy in my Toronto neighborhood at the moment over plans by the Toronto Transit Commission to build second exits at a number of the subway stations on the Danforth line.  As the engineers explained at a stifling and noisy public meeting last night (July 12, 2010) in this security conscious era, second exits are necessary if subway stations and trains have to be evacuated.  However, this was not taken into consideration when the subway was originally built and so now it appears as if the second exits may have to be built in residential areas at the expense of some people’s homes.

I shot last night’s meeting for Openfile.ca.  You will find reporter Janet Money’s story at Residents fight back against TTC plan.

Some of the photographs are part  of that story. Here is my gallery of the evening’s events.

It was a stifling hot night at  the crowded and unairconditioned Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute as neighborhood residents demanded answers.

The early part of the evening was a highly technical and sometimes confusing engineering technical briefing. Pat McCarthy, who lives on Strathmore Blvd. listens to the presentation  on the expansion of  Greenwood subway station. Later at the  information and protest
meeting, McCarthy asked for clarification.

Bruna Amabile, whose parent’s home on Strathmore Blvd  was threatened
by expropriation, listens to answers from TTC officials.

Elaine McLellan  of Strathmore Blvd raises an objection. (Robin Rowland)

Community activist Lisa Dymond, Strathmore Blvd,  outlines objections to
the TTC  plans