Yonge-Eglinton intersection no longer 'pit of hell' now that crosswalks reopened, locals say

Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue is no longer a "pit of hell" now that the intersection's four crosswalks have reopened after years of construction, say people who live and work nearby.

But one restaurant owner says all sidewalks in the area need to be restored for local businesses to return to normal as work continues on the much-delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

The crosswalks at Yonge and Eglinton were reopened on Dec. 17, according to Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency that is building the East-West 19 kilometre light rail transit line. The line will run from Kennedy in the east to Mount Dennis in the west.

Metrolinx says remaining work at the intersection will be completed in early 2024. It has not provided a date for the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown. The over-budget project has been held up amid reports of hundreds of quality control issues.

Several people interviewed on Tuesday say the reopening of the crosswalks, however, has provided a glimmer of hope that construction in the area may one day come to an end. The area is now much easier to navigate, they added.

Matthew Pollack, manager of BMV Books Uptown on Yonge Street, said the reopening of the crosswalks is a good sign. He said the bookstore has had its busiest month ever and there are more people on the street now.

"It's good to see that you can actually cross at the crosswalks. That's a new and exciting adventure for a lot of people. That's certainly opened things up," Pollack said.

"It was like they were digging for oil basically for years. It's nice to see that it's not exactly a pit of hell anymore. Still a bit grim and still a bit not what you want to walk out of the subway into, but it's better."

Ethan Mizzi, an urban planning student, said he is pleased that the intersection is working again. He has lived north of the intersection since July and has worked at the mall at Yonge and Eglinton since late August. He said he comes to the intersection nearly every day.

"It looks like a functioning intersection. You can cross every way, every single time," Mizzi said. 

"Cars and buses go like they should. For a long time, it was so bad. Going north and going west, it was a mess, but now it's fine. And I don't need to get off the bus early to get to the subway," he added.

"Up until about a week ago, if I were taking the bus this way, I would get off one or two stops that way just because it's quicker to walk to the subway from over there than stay on the bus."

Mizzi said it was frustrating for people going shopping — "we'd get constant complaints in the mall" — and the sidewalk was inaccessible for people with mobility issues.

"But it's gotten a lot better. It's opening. It's almost done. There's bike lanes now, which I'm excited for. I'm hopeful."