Metrolinx partners with City of Toronto to keep Eglinton clean during Crosstown LRT construction

New agreement will allow for enhanced street cleaning services along Eglinton Avenue between Keele Street and Marlee Avenue. Get the latest details on street cleaning efforts below.

Transit construction in Toronto is a massive undertaking, and it’s no secret that building things can get messy.

The Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit (LRT) project is no exception.

Those living or working along Eglinton Avenue know it well – dust, dirt and trash.

To help keep things as tidy as possible, Metrolinx and the Eglinton Crosstown team are partnering with the City of Toronto’s Solid Waste Management Services (SWMS) to step up street cleaning and litter collection along Eglinton Avenue between Keele Street and Marlee Avenue.

Crews use a cherry-picker crane to reach high work. — Crews work on the front entrance to Crosstown’s Fairbank Station, a major stop along the light rail transit line. (Metrolinx photo)

From now until autumn, the enhanced litter collection services with the City of Toronto includes:

Morning and afternoon manual litter collection (bag and broom)
Daytime mechanical litter collection (littervac service)
Poster removal, illegal dumping collection, laneway cleaning, and additional morning collection services following the Wednesday night collection route.

“We hope that residents, businesses, and visitors to this area in the Eglinton-West corridor affected by the Crosstown construction will benefit from a cleaner area with increased litter collection,” said Lisa Duncan, director of collections and litter operations with the City of Toronto.

“This partnership with Metrolinx will help us keep Toronto clean and beautiful.”

City worker sweeping up trash — Manual litter pick up helps make the streets look a lot cleaner as the littervac machines can’t get into many smaller places. (City of Toronto photo)

All of this means a reduction in trash around and in those nooks and crannies along Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction sites and work areas along stretches that includes the Little Jamaica Neighbourhood.

This is part of Metrolinx’s commitment to provide up to $3 million in further support local business support programs to address the small business impact of by LRT construction. In April, Metrolinx was able to secure Building Up, a local social enterprise, to support with free window washing service for businesses along the Eglinton Avenue corridor.

All in all, this strengthened partnership allows construction of Toronto’s newest transit line to continue while the City of Toronto helps to ensure Eglinton Avenue is kept clean.

Continue to follow the Crosstown progress online on Twitter and by subscribing to Metrolinx News.

Story by Erika D’Urbano, Metrolinx communications senior advisor