TTC hush-hush on repair status of escalators at Bloor station
Some things are too serious to disclose to the public, like the reasons behind the closure of an escalator to the subway.
When it’s rush hour and people are scurrying to the subway to get to or from work, every station entrance is swarming with riders, particularly at the busy downtown stations.
Entrances to some downtown stations are within privately owned buildings, which makes it hard for riders to know where the TTC property starts and the private property ends.
That’s the case at the Yonge-Bloor subway station — among the busiest in the entire system — where some subway entrances can be accessed via the ground level of one of the office towers at Yonge and Bloor Sts.
Tim Spratt emailed to say he uses the Yonge-Bloor station and has noticed that the escalators running between the Hayden St. entrance and the subway level have been closed for about a year.
“For months, I didn’t see a single person there,” though she walks by twice daily, said Spratt. “But (recently), I’ve seen one or two guys working there at a time, on and off for months now.
“It’s never more than two guys at once, and they never seem to be working that hard. How long does it really take to install an escalator?”
We went there and spotted barricades at the top and bottom of the escalators, while people used the stairs next to them. There wasn’t much to attract people to the lower level, other than the subway.
There’s a nearby elevator that people with mobility issues can use, but the lack of escalators puts a lot more pressure on it, and forces those who aren’t so sure of foot onto the stairs. Status: We asked the TTC what’s up with the escalators. A spokesperson got back to us, saying they don’t belong to the TTC but are part of the Xerox building, on Bloor St. E. So we asked if it could check on them with the building management. Do it yourself, came the reply, along with contact information for Mr. Michael Williamson, listed as the general manager. We called Williamson, told him who we were and asked about the escalators. “I’m really not at liberty to talk about it, but thanks for your call,” he said, before hanging up. We went back to the TTC, but a day later a spokesperson said no information was available. Oooh, classified, eh? It’s apparently too big a secret to divulge. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer, call us at 416-869-4823 or email jlakey@thestar.ca. To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/ the_fixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.