Councillor Fletcher calls for immediate review of safety measures after pedestrian hit by Ontario Line construction vehicle.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TORONTO – I was saddened and shocked to learn that a woman was hit by a Metrolinx sub-contractor’s dump truck on Thursday while crossing the Pape-Mortimer intersection.
My thoughts are with the victim and her family. I hope she makes a full and speedy recovery.
I’m outraged that the dump truck was not using the approved ‘haul’ route for Ontario Line construction vehicles when it hit the pedestrian.
Specific haul routes were designed to limit travel through dense, residential streets and minimize risks to pedestrians and other road users.
There should be no surprises about the routes Metrolinx construction vehicles take in our community.
In response to this incident, I’m calling for:
1. Metrolinx to investigate its contractor for not following the designated haul route
A main concern with this project from the beginning has been the safety of pedestrians and school children.
Now, one of the worst possible incidents has happened, all because Metrolinx’s contractor was not following the designated haul route.
This is unacceptable. Metrolinx needs to investigate its contractors and take action to ensure vehicles entering and leaving all its work sites use the approved routes.
2. An immediate safety review be conducted of the Pape-Sammon Ontario Line site
Metrolinx has increased the scope of its work at Pape and Sammon avenues. The site is now a larger construction zone.
I’m calling on Metrolinx to work with local residents and schools to immediately review safety requirements based on this expanded construction site and to add more local residents to it’s Community Liaison Committees.
3. A review of other Ontario Line sites
Metrolinx needs to make public a ‘safe haulage’ plan for the transport of soil from its future Gerrard and Carlaw portal, where an estimated 100 dump trucks per day will remove excavated soil from the 4.2 km of subway tunnels to be built between Gerrard and the Don Valley.
While we need this new transit, it needs to be done safely.
I urge Metrolinx to follow the rules and put plans in place to keep residents and workers safe.
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