Metrolinx is defending its construction practices in downtown Toronto following frustration from residents living near the Ontario Line sites at Queen St. W. and Spadina Ave.
The upcoming subway line is set to run 15.6 km from the former Ontario Science Centre site, to the Ontario Place and Exhibition grounds, making it one of the largest transit projects in Canada.
Despite the urgency and excitement for the much needed line, many have voiced concerns surrounding its noisy construction.
“Cities exist for people to live in. Sleep deprivation does a tremendous amount of harm. We need to figure out how to do construction without destroying peoples’ sleep,” one Reddit user said.
“It’s totally reasonable to expect them to do better at managing noise,” another user said.
One local tells Now Toronto that the agency should be more mindful of the time of day when working on construction projects.
“I don’t live exactly in this area, but I frequent it often, and I can only imagine what it’s like for residents. In terms of mitigating it, it would just have to be the times of the day that they’re operating,” Shakiba Y said.
Shakiba even mentioned that due to the ongoing construction, she does not see the 501 streetcar as often.
“The 501, it’s like non-existent. At this point, it’s a mystery.”
“It’s annoying but there’s always going to be construction downtown, you just gotta live with it,” a local named Stephanie L. said. “As long as they stay within their working hours it doesn’t really bother me.”
In a statement to Now Toronto via email, Metrolinx said it’s “delivering the largest transit expansion in Canadian history to improve the lives of residents” and is working to minimize the impacts of construction on the community.
“Excavation activities are currently underway for the Ontario Line at both Queen-Spadina and King-Bathurst,” the agency said.
The provincial transit agency says it is collaborating with contractors to explore different construction methods and is aiming to build acoustic shelters to reduce noise at key sites.
“We work continuously with our contractors to monitor noise levels and implement mitigations based on community feedback,” the agency wrote.
That includes efforts to schedule noisier tasks during the day and quieter ones overnight, using less disruptive equipment, and where possible, offering custom solutions for residents.
“As with all our projects, we work directly with residents and businesses throughout construction to keep them informed of upcoming work and are always available should they have questions or concerns,” the statement reads.
Construction on the line began in 2021 and is expected to wrap up by 2031.
