When it rains, it floods
A pair of rubber boots is a good idea in wet weather, but they’re a necessity to cross the street at Coxwell and Danforth Aves., if you like dry feet.
It seems like it rains almost every day lately, and the accompanying gloom and grey skies are the default setting for weather around here.
A gifted writer once said that everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. Well, one thing we’d fix in a flash, if we could, is the November weather. But for now, we’d settle for draining a large pool of water that accumulates whenever it rains at Coxwell and Danforth.
David Hache emailed to say that for about a year, a large puddle forms on rainy days at the northeast corner, right in front of the doors of a busy bank.
“This is not the type of puddle you simply hop over,” Hache said. “It can be up to 30 feet wide if there is enough precipitation. It blocks access to the crosswalk area and forces pedestrians to walk along the roadway (which) puts them in danger.”
There’s a storm grate right next to the puddle that might not be draining properly, he said, adding that “this is dangerous, especially for people who require the use of assistive devices for walking and getting around.”
With an attendant care residence across the street, several schools in the area and the Coxwell TTC station at the intersection, foot traffic in the area is heavy and constant, Hache said.
We went there and watched people slogging through the water or skirting around it. A jogger gracefully leaped over the puddle, but how many people can do that?
The storm grate did not look to be plugged, but not much of the water at the corner was draining into it. It had us thinking the slope of the sidewalk at the point where it meets the crosswalk is not properly graded, to allow runoff water to reach the grate. STATUS: Eric Holmes, a spokesperson for transportation services, emailed to say that staffers have been sent to figure out why water is pooling at the corner and what needs to be done to fix it. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Email
jlakey@thestar.ca or follow @TOStarFixer on Twitter