Metrolinx says LRT construction noise within acceptable levels

Construction on the Eglinton Light Rail Transit has Leaside residents fuming and fed up, but Metrolinx says the noise and vibrations are well within city limits.

Over 140 residents signed a petition claiming that the racket coming from the construction of building the LRT is severe and causing people to lose sleep.

“The noise and vibration is due to the service locomotives that run approximately every 30 minutes in both tunnels,” the petition states. “We are proposing that Metrolinx adjust their schedule so that this down time occurs between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. weeknights thus permitting the project to finish on time and residents to sleep.”

The letter said that 85.3 per cent of 68 people who signed the petition had someone in their household kept up at night due to the noise of the vibration. Only 11.8 per cent said they were not impacted.

Some residents said pictures on their walls have shifted, glassware in the kitchen rattled, a mirror fell off a basement wall and children have woken up scared at night due to the noise.

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Metrolinx responded by saying their community officer has investigated the noise and vibration complaints, and taking overnight breaks could delay the project by up to two years.

“The locomotives run in and out of the tunnels twice an hour along temporary tracks and are transporting construction materials to the TBMs, in particular concrete tunnel liners,” said Jamie Robinson, spokesperson for Metrolinx.

A report was conducted to test the levels of noise and vibration and said “these levels are virtually indistinguishable from those created by the local traffic, namely buses and heavy trucks.” They also added that the levels detected are well within limits set by the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto.

The project uses two Tunnel Boring Machines to build the 3.5-kilometre eastern underground section of the tunnels between Brentcliffe Road and Yonge Street.

“The TBMs are making great progress tunneling at an average rate of over 10 to 15 metres per day,” said Robinson. “They have completed approximately 70 per cent of their journey and expected to be at Yonge Street in early September.”

The entire 19-kilometre transit line is expected to be completed by 2020.

Robinson said Metrolinx greatly regrets the inconveniences cause by the Crosstown construction and they are working to complete the project as soon as possible.