Residents relieved after Metrolinx revises plan to move up to 400 dump trucks daily through Liberty Village

Liberty Village residents are breathing a sigh of relief after Metrolinx revised a proposed plan related to Ontario Line construction near the Exhibition area that would have seen up to 400 dump trucks driving through the neighbourhood’s main thoroughfare on a daily basis.

The trucks transporting soil displaced from boring tunnels were to travel on Strachan Avenue, East Liberty Street and Liberty Street, for several years until construction was complete.

With East Liberty and Liberty being the only route in and out of the neighbourhood, residents were mainly worried about increased traffic in an already congested area, especially at the intersection of Strachan and East Liberty.

Along with Spadina-Fort York councillor Ausma Malik’s office and MPP Chris Glover’s office, Liberty Village residents have been raising concerns about the plan for months. A petition started by Liberty Village Residents Association (LVRA) board member Heidi Kurien received over 1,000 signatures.

During last week’s Construction Liaison Committee (CLC) meeting, Metrolinx introduced changes to the plan that would largely keep dump trucks off the area’s main roads.

New plan to reduce dump truck traffic through Liberty Village

“We’ve had some success … the dump trucks will not be going through Strachan and past East Liberty, down south,” said Kurien.

Instead of using Strachan, Dufferin Street will be used to access the Ontario Line Work Zone that runs parallel to Liberty and East Liberty streets. In addition, Malik says a long-standing provincial commitment will be moving forward to provide a haul route for trucks.

“What has been committed to by the provincial government for now decades, has been another street – New Liberty Street,” she explained. It is to run parallel to Liberty and East Liberty and provide another route through the area.

“So as part of this revised plan they will be using the layout and the infrastructure of what will become the new street that gets in and out of Liberty Village as the alternative route and as the alternative option that is now being put forward.”

In a statement to CityNews, Metrolinx said it held six meetings with the community and were able to develop “the safest and least disruptive solution for haul routes that will allow residents to easily access key neighbourhood spaces.”

“We are preparing a haul route option that uses Dufferin Street and will only use Hanna Avenue via Liberty Street to support initial excavation work and other occasional needs. Strachan Avenue will only be used as a backup route when absolutely necessary – for example, when we need to deliver machines to the site. The majority of hauling will take place using the new route that will connect to Dufferin Street, ” said Metrolinx Media Relations.

“After analyzing the schedule in more detail and looking at ways to better distribute our hauling activities, we now expect an average of 126 trucks per day to support excavation and tunnelling work in the area over the course of the project.”

A win for community advocacy

Kurien and fellow LVRA board member Robert Howley are taking the revisions as a win.

“[One hundred and twenty-six trucks] is a marked improvement. We do know that even 126 dump trucks a day is going to have an impact on the safety concerns and the lives of our residents, but it’s better than 300 to 400,” said Howley.

Kurien adds that she’s heartened by how the community banded together to effect change.

“It feels great. I think when I started the petition, I wasn’t a 100 per cent sure where we would have any actual options in getting anything done. But once we saw the activity and how much the community came together and the fact that Metrolinx actually listened to us, I think it was fantastic and helpful,” she said.

“I feel a lot of times when you have petitions people do feel that nothing happens. So that’s why I think this actually showcases that having a petition and bringing the community together will maybe provide changes that we really want.”

“We really didn’t think they were going to make any moves, but we were so encouraged by the last meeting,” added Howley.

“I really feel that they have listened. It’s a testament to the passion that the people in Liberty Village expressed … so we’re very, very encouraged by that and we know we’re doing the right thing as a residents association.”

He also acknowledged the role of Malik and Glover’s office in advocating for the neighbourhood.

“Together with the Liberty Village Residents Association and the Business Improvement Association, and my direction and push from City Council through the Liberty Village Traffic Action Plan, we were able to successfully have Metrolinx hear the concerns of the neighbourhood and to be responsive in coming forward with a plan that keeps dump trucks off of neighborhood streets.” added Malik.

“It allows us to begin to see the infrastructure for a new street that has been committed to the neighborhood for decades and for us to have a timeframe where we can see that street opening alongside the new transit station. And that is very encouraging for community advocacy and for the responsiveness that Metrolinx has demonstrated that they can have when communities are pushing back and asking for better.”

Metrolinx says more details are expected to be released in the CLC meeting in January.