Downtown roadwork won’t be permitted overnight, Toronto councillors say
A member motion clarified a new rule that prohibits utility crews from doing non-essential work during the day.

TheStar.com
March 28, 2018
Samantha Beattie

Downtown Toronto residents and councillors will be notified and consulted if utility crews do overnight work in their areas, confirmed a motion at council Tuesday.

A member motion put forward by Councillor Joe Cressy, and seconded by Mayor John Tory, re-affirmed non-emergency utility work should not take place overnight in downtown.

“As we work to manage the needs of a busy downtown core, we must also ensure that we are managing the needs of the communities that call it home. We must work hard to find an appropriate balance,” the motion read.

Last Wednesday, Tory had praised a new rule (in effect March 1) that prohibits utility companies and their subcontractors from doing planned road work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on streets bounded by Dundas St. to the north, Lake Shore Blvd./Harbour St. to the south, Bathurst St. to the west and Jarvis St. to the east.

The exception is on curb lanes where parking is allowed — but only between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

The new rule is a commonsense approach to traffic and congestion management, Tory had said.

But Cressy and neighbouring councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam protested that Tory was putting the needs of commuting drivers over downtown residents trying to sleep.

Tory denied any intention of pushing noisy work to overnight.

The motion “clarifies the policy, which was not intended to cause overnight noise in our downtown neighbourhoods,” said Councillor Lucy Troisi at council.

Along with preventing non-essential overnight work, the motion re-affirmed that the new policy only applies major and minor arterial roadways. Daytime work will be permitted on non-arterial roadways.

“With the help of downtown residents’ associations, councillors (Wong-Tam and Torisi) and (Mayor John Tory) we’ve ensured it won’t happen overnight and will include consultation and notification,” Cressy tweeted following council’s vote.