After being roundly criticized by Mississauga’s mayor, councillors and residents, Metrolinx appears ready to fix problems created by the construction of a bus station built right next to dozens of homes.

Less than 24 hours after a public scorning by city council — which charged that Metrolinx had completely ignored the impact on residents’ quality of life — Metrolinx chair Robert Prichard visited the station near Highway 403 and Erin Mills Parkway.

Affected homeowners told council that, since the station opened in September, they have endured excessive noise, buses passing right next to their backyards, security cameras peering into their properties and bright stadium-like lights shining through their windows all night. One homeowner now has a raised bathroom looming over the property’s rear fence, with fumes blasting from a vent directly above the swimming pool.

“We’re absolutely clear about what their concerns are, and we’re committed to address them as much as we can until they’re happy,” said Anne Marie Aikins, Metrolinx’s head of strategic communications, detailing an upcoming public meeting that will include city officials and residents.

“It all happened very quickly,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie, who two weeks ago joined her council colleagues in condemning Metrolinx. “That (next) morning Robert Prichard called me and was very committed to fixing the problem… I don’t think they realized how difficult it was for the residents.”

Neighbours, who said they’ve tried and failed for a year to get a meeting with Metrolinx, said they’re encouraged but skeptical.

“Where the hell were they 18 months ago?” questioned Allan Hignell, whose house has the swimming pool below the station’s raised bathroom. “At this point I’m a little negative. They’ve refused to answer our concerns till now.”

Eva Berlin, who has taken the lead in representing the owners of about 30 properties near the station, says Metrolinx is taking the matter seriously only because of the negative attention in the media.

“Now, because of the Star and then other media coverage by TV and radio and the local paper, they’re under duress because of their public image.”

Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig addressed some of the concerns when he visited the site in mid-January. In a letter to Crombie which appeared on the council meeting agenda two weeks ago, he wrote that the washroom would not be moved, but the vent would be.

He also said security cameras nearest to the homes would be removed and committed to turning off some lights if there were no safety concerns.

Hignell acknowledged that the security camera nearest his home was removed after the council meeting.

Berlin said residents will seek four changes at the upcoming meeting: remove part of a bus loop that runs directly behind homes; remove the row of lights that shine into properties; move the structure with the bathroom; and build a raised noise barrier set back from the homes.

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Aikins said Metrolinx is already working on a plan to address residents’ concerns, but details will not be disclosed until the meeting.

“It’s really unfortunate that (the residents) felt that we were letting them down… I know our chair, as was our CEO, was feeling very bad that the residents were feeling that way.”

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