TTC finally removes streetcar wire pole
Stub, sinkhole, rough patch all get swift fixes following columns calling for repairs
The remnant of a pole that was once used to suspend King St. streetcar wires has finally been removed by the TTC, and none too soon.
On Oct. 28, we ran a column about a metal pole that was used to suspend electrical lines that power streetcars, but which had been sawed off and replaced at least a year ago. It was on the south side of King St. W., just west of University Ave.
Instead of removing the entire pole, a stub with sharp, rusty edges about two feet high was left in the sidewalk, prompting a reader to describe it as a “potentially fatal” accident waiting to happen.
We contacted the TTC, which for several years has been replacing the old, silver-painted poles with new ones.
It arranged for the stub to be removed within a couple days. But why did it take so long to get it done in the first place?
Readers have since pointed out similar poles in other locations, which has us wondering why removal is such a lengthy, two-stage process. We’ve asked the TTC why it doesn’t remove the entire pole at once. Stay tuned for the answer.
On Oct. 21, we reported on a sinkhole in a private drivewayon St. Hubert Ave., caused by a city contractor’s excavation to repair a water-main leak in the part of the driveway that sat in the municipal road allowance. The homeowner had been unable to persuade the city to fix the sinkhole, saying she’d been told by 311 that a warranty covering it had expired.
It was fixed within a few days of our column, prompting a thankful note from a friend of the homeowner, who described it as “a wonderful blessing.”
And last Apr. 24, we reported on a rough patch on a section of Kingston Rd., (also known as Highway 2A) just before the point where it branches off to Hwy. 401or Port Union Rd.
A reader noted that the ruts and potholes were prompting erratic lane changes as drivers got to the fork in the road, which made approaching it a hair-raising experience.
We recently drove on to the 401 along that route and noticed that the rough patch has been completely repaved and is as smooth as silk — for now. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Send an email to jlakey@thestar.ca. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.