Travelling through Toronto's Liberty Village neighbourhood was a nightmare for many this summer (to say the very least) as multiple overlapping construction projects and high-traffic events such as the CNE and Honda Indy made it virtually impossible to move through the neighbourhood quickly. 

Much of the traffic relied on the neighbourhood's main artery — East Liberty Street — and it quickly became apparent that the two-lane street was not equipped to handle the influx of vehicles moving through the area. 

And yet, after months of traffic woes, Liberty Village is potentially looking at another hurdle that may impact how its residents commute to and from the neighbourhood. 

A proposed plan by Metrolinx — which has already faced backlash from local residents — seeks to use the neighbourhood as a path for dump trucks to transport soil during the Ontario Line construction. 

At the moment, roughly 25 to 40 dump trucks are moving through the area on a daily basis, but the plan (which has not been finalized yet) would see that number ramped up to anywhere from 300 to 400 dump trucks a day on Strachan Avenue, East Liberty Street, and Liberty to transport soil as part of the construction. 

Ward councillor and deputy mayor Ausma Malik, who has been vocal about improving traffic mitigation efforts in the area, told CityNews that she has been at the table with residents and the Business Improvement Association (BIA) in an effort to keep the dump trucks off the main roads in the neighbourhood. 

Still, Metrolinx maintains that as with any tunnelling project, soil from tunnel boring machines must be removed from the area, which is "critically important" for the construction of the future Ontario Line subway. 

"We are working with the Liberty Village BIA, and community members on soil removal to mitigate traffic impacts from our construction activities and any routes for removal will be determined based on comprehensive planning that considers the safest and most direct routes in and out of the area," Metrolinx said in a statement. 

"While getting trucks in and out of the construction area is necessary for completion of the project, we are working to explore all options, including the best routes and methods for undertaking this work." 

A petition launched by one Liberty Village resident in protest of the plan has amassed over 600 signatures. 

"I bear the daily brunt of the intense traffic in the neighbourhood," the resident wrote. 

"The prosperity and tranquility that once defined our space are being drowned under the incessant humming of vehicles. It is disheartening to learn that Metrolinx is planning to bring in 40-50 dump trucks a day in 2024 and a staggering 300-400 dump trucks a day during 2025-2029 to work on the Ontario Line. This area, particularly at the intersection of East Liberty and Strachan, would be directly hit by these extraordinary traffic loads." 

The Liberty Village Traffic Action Plan Update, which seeks to address traffic congestion, parking, and road safety in the area was considered by City Council on Wednesday.