A Nightmare on Eglinton Avenue
Noise Pollution from the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project
Welcome (?) to my neighbourhood, the beautiful (?) Yonge-Eglinton. Located in the City of Toronto’s Midtown, Yonge-Eglinton is a neighbourhood surrounding the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. The neighbourhood offers great shopping, restaurants, and entertainment, such as a cinema, theatres, and various other activities. Many other small and large businesses call Yonge-Eglinton home. The bustling neighbourhood is surrounded by quiet, residential neighbourhoods. There are many trails and parks nearby that offer scenic escapes from the city.
Whether or not you have visited the area, I am sure you have heard about the chaos that has become a running joke within the city of Toronto: the seemingly never-ending construction on Eglinton Avenue. This is a pressing policy challenge facing my community. For over a decade, Eglinton Avenue has been under construction for the newest addition to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)’s subway system. Line 5, or the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, is a 25-station addition spanning 19km across the city. The new line is significantly behind schedule in its debut and over budget. The initial completion date was 2020 and the cost estimate is $8.2 billion (2010$). In addition to the Eglinton Crosstown-related construction, there is also significant amounts of construction in the area with condominiums being built in increasing numbers. There are many condos currently under development, and even more “Notice: A change is proposed for this site.” signs throughout the neighbourhood.
The chaos of construction in the area is hurting business and creating significant noise pollution. Businesses along Eglinton Avenue have to deal with continuous construction zones at their doorsteps. The construction is both an inconvenience and deterrent for customers to access the goods and services provided by these businesses. Noise pollution from the construction of condos and the LRT impacts those operating their businesses in the area, as well as the residents. As we are in the midst of a global pandemic, many people have shifted to remote work. I have personally experienced challenges related to this as I have had both school and work shift to remote-operation during my time living in Yonge-Eglinton. Thankfully, where I live, I do not directly face any construction, so the noise pollution is minimal. I cannot imagine the noise pollution for those in surrounding condos who now have to work from home next to multiple active construction zones. Additionally, the population density in the Yonge-Eglinton neighbourhood has increased at a rate that far exceeds the rate at which adequate infrastructure is in place to support it, such as the new Eglinton Crosstown subway line. On- and off-peak riding hours see busy buses navigating east and west through the construction zones on Eglinton Avenue.
So, what do those involved have to say about this?
Throughout the construction of the LRT, residents along Eglinton have complained about the noise and vibrations associated with the drilling. Unfortunately for residents, the project is exempt from noise bylaws, allowing for drilling at all hours. And who is responsible for all this noise? Metrolinx. Do they care? Well, a local councillor was quoted saying that:
“In 2010, council passed a motion saying Metrolinx could work 24/7 because it’s better for the machines to keep going. So in discussions with Metrolinx, the answer residents get is, ‘Well tough. We’re allowed to do it, so you have to put up with it.”
From this perspective, it does not seem as though they care. According to the City of Toronto’s website, Metrolink is “contracting with the TTC to act as its agent in the delivery of the project” and they are “responsible for securing funding and environmental approvals, designing, coordinating, planning, constructing and implementing the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown LRT project.” Thus, an interesting challenge of this project is the public-private partnership that exists in the building of the new line. This partnership was sold by the Premier as a way to save taxpayer money by utilizing the private firm to deliver the project with the aforementioned responsibilities. When the residents vocalize their concerns, this adds a complexity in the responsibility of who is responding to the community. Unfortunately for the community, however, neither response is leading to any reduction in the noise pollution experienced in association with the LRT project.
Businesses have also faced significant challenges as a result of the construction. An announcement in May, 2021 about the latest delay in the Eglinton Crosstown completion date was quoted as being a heartbreaking development for business owners on Eglinton Avenue. According to one local business owner, the key challenges faced by business owners is that they “are losing sales, and [they] are losing foot traffic to the neighbourhood and customers coming into the neighbourhood to patronize.” Additionally, it could be argued that the delays are not only contributing to a loss in current sales but that the opportunities associated with increased access to the area through the new LRT could have the potential to increase traffic and sales. However, the most serious challenge that businesses have faced is closures. It is estimated by Councillors Mike Colle and Josh Matlow that 140 businesses have closed, since the beginning of the construction in 2011, from Black Creek Drive to Yonge Street. This has resulted in job loss from anywhere between 500 and 800 people. While local councillors have responded sympathetically and targeted Metrolinx as being poor project management, a Metrolinx spokesperson states that their goal “has always been, and remains, to get the Crosstown project completed and open for the people of Toronto as soon as possible.” Only time will tell how soon is actually possible. I look forward to riding on the LRT line once I have retired.
If there is one thing to be learnt from the construction woes associated with the Eglinton Crosstown construction, it is the following: treat yourself like Eglinton and never stop working on yourself, no matter how inconvenient it is for everybody else.
