Implementation of the New Eglinton Avenue Streetscape and Cycle Track Phase 1: Duplex Avenue to Lascelles Boulevard.

What Work is Taking Place? As part of Eglinton Crosstown LRT project, improvements to streetscape, cycle tracks and utility upgrades will be implemented at certain stations areas and stretches of Eglinton Avenue.  The improvements have been designed in coordination with the City of Toronto’s planned Eglinton Connects Streetscape and Cycle Track Design and include street and sidewalk renewal and reconfiguration, sidewalk widening, designated cycle lanes, on-street parking, trees, and street furniture.  For more information on the City’s Eglinton Connects Streetscape and Cycle Track Design, visit www.toronto.ca/eglinton. The new streetscape and cycle track will be implemented continuously between Avenue Road and Holly Street.  Construction will take place in phases, beginning with Phase 1 on the north and south sides of Eglinton Avenue from Duplex Avenue to Lascelles Blvd. starting in July 2020.  Using traffic barrels, work zones will be erected along Eglinton Avenue.  Using excavators, the existing roadway, sidewalk, and any street furniture will be removed.  Excavated material will be loaded into dump trucks and hauled to an off-site facility.  Once the road and sidewalk have been removed, wet and dry utility works will take place.  Concrete and asphalt will be used to construct the new streetscape and cycle track.  Phase 1 will take approximately six (6) months to complete. Crews will work Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. with overnight work as required.  Eglinton Avenue streetscape and cycle track construction between Avenue Road and Lascelles Blvd. and in other areas within the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project scope will continue through 2021.  Construction notices will be issued in advance of each phase of work. Occasionally, use of a hydro-vacuum truck, jack hammer and/or compaction roller will be required.  Property access will be maintained.  Significant traffic and pedestrian changes will be in effect. Please review the complete notice or visit http://www.thecrosstown.ca/  for more information. Hours of Work Beginning as early as Wednesday July 6, 2020 Phase 1 will take approximately six (6) months to complete Work will take place Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Overnight work may be required Work may be rescheduled due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances Duplex Ave to Edith Dr North Side Traffic Setup

Final Configuration

What to Expect Noise from construction activity, including trucks, breaking of concrete and asphalt, utility work, and use of heavy equipment Construction vehicles and trucks will stage within work zones and traffic tapers Traffic barrels, fencing, signage, and other equipment will be erected to delineate work zones Property access will be maintained Traffic & Pedestrian Details Eglinton Ave W will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Edith Drive and Duplex Avenue while this work takes place. The sidewalk on the northside of Eglinton Avenue West will be reduced to 1.5 meters between Edith Drive and Duplex Avenue while this work takes place Pedestrian access to business store fronts will be maintained at all times

Transit Information  Access to TTC will be maintained at all times. Please visit www.ttc.ca for more information.

Good afternoon,

I am writing to share an update on safety initiatives at the TTC. 

Effective July 2, 2020 masks or face coverings will be mandatory on the TTC. Children under two and those with medical conditions will be exempt. Instructions for wearing a mask and making your own simple face covering are available here.

To support our customers in this change we will be employing a one-time targeted strategy to distribute 1,000,000 non-medical masks to our customers. Working with the City’s Poverty Reduction Office, the distribution will start June 29. We are also doing a multi-lingual customer education campaign to ensure awareness.

The TTC’s full news release with messages from Mayor Tory, TTC CEO Rick Leary, and Dr. Eileen de Villa, the Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto, is available here: https://www.ttc.ca/News/2020/June/17_06_20NR_Board.jsp  

Attached is an update with additional details. 

The safety of our customers and employees will always be our top priority. Thank you for your support for safe transit.

Sincerely,

Arno

Arno van Dijk Construction Liaison Officer Community Relations CEO’s Office

T: 416-434-0759  Arno.vanDijk@ttc.ca

Toronto Transit Commission 1900 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M4S 1Z2

Chaplin Crescent Road closure June 8 to July 17, 2020

4:30 a.m. June 8 to 6 p.m. July 17, 2020

14 Glencairn

• Eastbound: from Chaplin Crescent, Eglinton Avenue West, Russell Hill Road,Chaplin Crescent to route.
• Westbound: from Chaplin Crescent, Tarlton Road, Eglinton Avenue West, ChaplinCrescent.

There will be no subway service on Line 1 between Sheppard-Yonge and St Clair stations on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21, 2020 to accommodate Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit construction. TTC will use the opportunity of this closure to undertake maintenance as well.

Shuttle buses will operate.

What Work is Taking Place? On Monday June 8, 2020, Chaplin Crescent closed between Eglinton Avenue and Russell Hill Road for approximately six (6) weeks while crews perform traffic bridge removal works at the intersection.  The Chaplin-Russell Hill laneway is also closed.  Construction activities will include removal of the existing traffic bridge, back-filling, reinstatement of utilities and paving.    One lane of traffic in each direction on Eglinton Avenue will be maintained.  Local access will be maintained from the south end of the closure and the east end of the laneway.  Upon completion of the work, Chaplin Crescent and the Chaplin-Russell Hill laneway will re-open.  Significant traffic changes will be in effect.  Please carefully review the Traffic and Pedestrian Details below.   Please note that the TTC detour has changed. Hours of Work Chaplin Cres will be closed from June 8, 2020, for  approximately six (6) weeks Traffic bridge removal work will take place between 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Monday – Sunday The contractor may not always work during these hours, but may do so at its discretion The closure may be in place longer or shorter than expected   Work Area Map What to Expect Noise from use of a crane, excavator, trucks, compactor and other heavy equipment Site lighting will be required Truck staging within work zones, traffic tapers and on the median north of Eglinton Ave 24 hour deep excavation work will continue during closure into mid-June 2020 Motorists can expect delays when travelling through the intersection Traffic & Pedestrian Details Chaplin Cres is closed between Eglinton Ave and Russell Hill Rd The Chaplin-Russell Hill laneway is closed One lane of traffic in each direction is maintained on Eglinton Ave Southbound traffic on Chaplin Cres is required to turn left or right at Eglinton Ave The west crosswalk has been removed and the north crosswalk has been reinstated The south crosswalk has been shifted further south Parking on Russell Hill Rd has been temporarily prohibited to accommodate the TTC detour No change to parking on Tarlton Rd is anticipated Traffic control personnel will be present while traffic bridge removal work takes place Local access is maintained from the south end of the road closure and from the east end of the laneway   TTC  Details TTC bus route 14 Glencairn will be on detour for the duration of the closure.  The westbound bus will turn right onto Tarlton Rd, left onto Eglinton Ave and continue north on Chaplin Cres.  The eastbound bus will turn left onto Eglinton Ave, right onto Russell Hill Rd and continue south on Chaplin Cres.  For more information, visit www.ttc.ca. Travelling Smart during Construction Travel delays are expected with the Crosstown construction. Please allow extra time for your journey. Traffic will be extra heavy at peak periods during the Crosstown construction. When possible, please travel during the off-peak period between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.   Stay Informed Sign up for e-mail updates at www.thecrosstown.ca/sign-up or download the Crosstown traffic app to get real-time traffic and transit information for the Eglinton corridor.   Disponible en français. Thank you for your continued patience as we work to build this important project. Please support your local businesses during construction.

Dear residents, I hope this finds you and your family healthy and well.  Although the pandemic’s impact on people has understandably been our focus over the past few weeks, we have actively been working on the many public policy priorities and issues that need our attention in our community. And while the pandemic has been obviously shocking and unprecedented, it has also exposed many pre-existing vulnerabilities and inequities in our society. However, we do have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to create a new “normal”  that’s far better than what we knew before.  If we choose to, we can create a healthier and more equitable society. We can respect and protect our elders, build safer and more accessible public spaces, finally address the roots of violence and existing bigotry and inequities, adapt our main streets for success and ensure that the new “normal” is a better normal for everyone- no matter where you live, how much money you have, who you love or what you look like.  The actions we’ve been taking together to combat COVID-19 have come from a place of personal responsibility, and they’ve been a collective act of kindness. We’ve each made decisions to take care of our own loved ones, but also many people whom we’ve never met before. It’s clear now, more than ever, how interdependent we are. Now, as we “get through this” together, let’s build towards a “normal” we can really be proud of - and that includes us all. P.S. My daughter Molly has an idea: when we beat the virus, let’s celebrate our frontline workers and scientists with a global holiday called “COVID-19 Helpers’ Day”. To watch her video, please click here. Sincerely, Josh PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK FOR THE FULL REPORT: https://joshmatlow.ca/enewsletter/city-hall-and-community-update/

There will be no subway service on Line 1 between Lawrence and Bloor-Yonge stations on Saturday, June 6 for Automatic Train Control signal system installation.

Shuttle buses will operate. As Lawrence Station is not yet an accessible station, customers requiring an accessible connection should exit the train at York Mills Station and request assistance from any TTC customer service employee.

Summerhill Station will be closed. All other stations will remain open for the purchase of PRESTO fares and connection to surface route.

Subway service on Line 1 between Eglinton and Bloor-Yonge stations will end at 11 p.m. nightly from Monday, June 1 to Thursday, June 4, 2020 for maintenance. 

Regular service will resume at approximately 6 a.m. each following morning. Shuttle buses will operate.

Summerhill Station will be closed. All other stations will remain open for the purchase of PRESTO fares and connection to surface routes.

Good afternoon,

I write to you today with an important community alert. We are back at Queen’s Park and the Ontario Government has decided to move ahead with non-COVID related bills.   

I want to provide you with an update regarding Bill 171, An Act to enact the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020. The Doug Ford government has announced a new timeline for the Bill’s progress through the Standing Committee on Social Policy.

You can access the entirety of the Bill here: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-171

A concise summary of the Bill is provided in the attached document.

If you are interested in appearing before the Committee to share your concerns regarding Bill 171, please see the information below and take note of the dates: 

1.   The Committee will hold public hearings on Bill 171 at Queen’s Park on:

Mon 8 Jun – 10:00am-12:00pm AND 1:00-6:00pm

Tue 9 Jun – 10:00am-12:00pm AND 1:00-6:00pm

Wed 10 Jun – 9:00-10:15am AND 1:00-6:00pm

2.   Deadline to request to appear: Thu 4 Jun, 10:00am. The process to apply to appear before the Committee is here - https://www.ola.org/en/apply-committees

3.   The amount of time each witness will receive will be determined at a later date by the sub-committee, but it will likely be 10 minutes for a presentation followed by 20 minutes for questioning

4.   Deadline for Written Submissions: Wed 10 Jun, 6:00pm. The process to submit written submissions is here - https://www.ola.org/en/apply-committees

5.   The Committee will meet to introduce amendments and go clause by clause through the bill on:

Mon 15 Jun – 10:00-12:00pm AND 1:00-6:00pm

Tue 16 Jun – 9:00-10:15am AND 1:00-6:00pm

The Bill can be called back for third reading as early as Tue 16 Jun.  

We have a lot of concerns with this Bill, and will likely be voting some clauses of the Bill down. 

In addition, after talking to many of you, we will likely be introducing some amendments including possibly the following:

·         Requiring a Community Benefits Agreement for all projects

·         Minister/Metrolinx must publish information about construction impacts on the community, and keep it updated

·         Minister/Metrolinx, in consultation with community, must set standards for construction impacts (eg: noise, dust, road access, utility service disruptions, access to store entrances, etc) and lay out consequences for failure to do so

·         Minister/Metrolinx must establish a construction working group that includes local stakeholders to exchange advice and information during construction

·         Minister/Metrolinx must coordinate with City of Toronto on construction permits, work orders, and access to municipal services/rights of way

·         Minister/Metrolinx must ensure access to a responsible person to address community concerns about construction or access to municipal services/rights of way

·         Project contract cannot require Minister/Metrolinx to exercise a power under Bill 171 (ie: the contract cannot allow the effective delegation of ministerial powers to a private contractor)

·         Minister/Metrolinx must compensate municipality or local board for construction damages

·         (If above fails) Minister/Metrolinx must compensate BIA for construction damages

·         Opposes sections that allow Minister to close roads or shut off power/water without consent of municipality

Let me know if you have any questions.  

Have a good weekend,

______________________

Dr. Jill Andrew, PhD (she/her)

Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto-St. Paul’s

Ontario NDP Critic for Culture and Women’s Issues