‘Going through hell’: Eglinton LRT construction noise a nuisance for frustrated Toronto residents

The noise is described as intolerable as constant loud jackhammering and other construction rackets are keeping residents in one Toronto midtown neighbourhood up at night with no immediate resolution on the horizon.

Despite residents’ ongoing complaints to the city, CityNews has learned that the construction is related to a Metrolinx project, meaning it’s exempt from Toronto’s noise bylaws.

On the topic of noise resulting from construction, the noise bylaw states that work is not permitted from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day, except until 9 a.m. on Saturdays and all day Sundays and statutory holidays. The noise exemption permit can be requested for events or activities that may be in contravention of the noise bylaw, and the city mentions construction as an example.

Still, those affected by the persistent racket aren’t pleased.

“Noise bylaws are there for a reason. Human beings need to sleep at night,” said Karina, one concerned midtown resident.

CityNews obtained video from one condominium resident who lives near Yonge and Eglinton. The sound of a jackhammer jolted Karina out of her bed, and she tells CityNews the jarring noise began roughly 12 minutes after midnight.

“I tried earplugs. I even put a pillow over my head and can still hear it.”

The Toronto resident has been documenting the construction noise every night this week, telling CityNews it’s either too loud to fall asleep or a sudden blast of sound wakes her up in the morning.

“It’s causing me so much stress. It’s impossible to function if I can’t sleep, [but] what can I do? This is not the only intersection where this is an issue — there is construction everywhere in Toronto,” she said.

Councillor responds to residents’ noise complaints

Deputy Mayor Mike Colle’s ward (Eglinton-Lawrence) covers the midtown neighbourhood.

Colle says the City of Toronto has allowed Metrolinx construction to happen 24/7 for many years to help get the LRT up and running as fast as possible. The councillor says he understands why residents dealing with the noise have had enough.

“[Metrolinx] has had that noise exemption. They’ve been allowed to work around the clock, [and] they still can’t get the work done — you can’t win with these guys,” Colle told CityNews.

Metrolinx’s Eglinton Crosstown, the city’s new light rail transit line, continues progressing. Once completed, the Crosstown will link to 54 bus routes, three TTC subway stations and GO lines.

Karina tells CityNews she received an email from Metrolinx that the work causing the overnight noise should be done by Friday, Jan. 12, but she fears it could ramp back up at any time.

A Metrolinx spokesperson tells CityNews that crews do their best to mitigate noise but can’t do much else.

“Twenty-four-hour construction is necessary to speed up completion time and take advantage of lower traffic volumes, weather and crew availability,” Metrolinx said.

While the situation and difficult circumstances for residents are out of the city’s hands, Colle admits that maybe it’s time to revisit the city’s noise exemption.

“Residents are going through hell. I just tell Premier [Doug] Ford to call the MPP,” Colle said.

“At this point, I don’t know what to do. Do we take away the noise exemption? Maybe we have to look at it again. It doesn’t seem to make a difference for them to get the job done.”

It’s estimated to cost $60.7 million to get the Eglinton Crosstown operational in 2024, but it will be augmented with $10.3 million in a one-time infusion of reserve funds and $2.1 million in new fare revenue.