Things are not quiet on the Ontario Line construction front
Residents of Thorncliffe Park made this very clear at a recent Don Valley West town hall focused on the Metrolinx Ontario Line project, hosted by DVW Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin and MPP Stephanie Bowman. I attended for the Leaside Residents Association. The Ontario Line is scheduled to be complete by 2031. Meanwhile, much of Thorncliffe Park, our close neighbour, appears to be under siege.
The meeting was very well attended. Directly affected by the noise and uprooting created by heavy machinery and long hours, residents of our next-door neighbourhood also reported a lack of communication and coordination from Metrolinx.
They had lots of questions, and serious complaints. Would there be financial compensation for homeowners who want to sell and move away? What about the cost of structural damage? Why do the noise and vibrations often continue as late at 11:30 p.m., in contravention of the bylaw, without enforcement?
Both Councillor Chernos Lin and MPP Stephanie Bowman had tough questions for the construction staffs. Why was it necessary to close Beth Nealson Drive, causing significant disruption for companies within the Leaside Business Park? Was this for technical, or financial, reasons? Is there an alternative route?
Apparently, these and other problems were already concerns at the very first meeting between residents and Metrolinx, before construction even started, “but we weren’t listened to,” said one attendee. The resident had little faith that this project would finish by the promised 2031 date.
TTC’s Planning Advisory Group
On a more pleasant note, I also recently attended a consultation meeting of the TTC’s Planning Advisory Group to examine the TTC’s 2026 Annual Network Plan, as part of a five-year service plan.
What does this mean, you ask? It means keeping watch on the TTC’s proposed bus route changes; frequency of bus schedules; safety measures; streamlining information, and other issues both city-wide and local.
The meetings are a great opportunity to assess how the surface transit system is coping, not only post-pandemic, but also looking ahead to the opening of the Crosstown LRT. Toronto is a growing and changing city, so transit needs to connect with and match changing customer usage patterns.
At these quarterly meetings, attended by local ratepayer association representatives and TTC staff, we also initiate topics. I raised the matter of bus route diversions when there is construction or an accident, and how poorly prepared the TTC often seems to be in forming riders how to reach their destinations. It was also an opportunity to promote the solution proposed by Thorncliffe’s Jason Ash and me for rerouting the 88 bus during the temporary closure of Beth Nealson Drive. The TTC is still considering our proposal.
Other members of the advisory group commented on safety measures, and on proposed changes to bus routes across the city in Etobicoke, Downsview, Rosedale, Yorkville, Scarborough, and the Lawrence West corridor, which connects with Bayview/Sunnybrook Hospital buses.
The results of these discussions will eventually go to the TTC board for its vote.
The next monthly meeting of the LRA board is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Aug. 6th. You are welcome to join us on Zoom. For contact information visit leasideresidents.ca and press the Contact Us button, or leasideresidents.ca/contact-us.
