Giving bikers the boot

The hydro corridor that cuts across Toronto doubles as parkland, but it shouldn’t be open to riders of dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles.

The corridor used for transmission towers and high-voltage power lines amounts to secondary green space for people who live in the area. It’s a great space to go for a hike or walk a dog; if you can look past the hulking towers, it’s almost like a slice of country in the city. Some parts even have bike paths that run on for long distances. Just about everyone is welcome, except those who would try to steer a car into it, or other types of motorized vehicles. That’s why Hydro One, which is in charge of Ontario electrical transmission lines and responsible for the corridor, uses cable suspended by wooden posts to seal off entrances at points where it crosses city streets.

Mara Glebov sent us a note including photos of posts used to suspend the cables across the corridor at Chartwell Rd., near Islington Ave. and The Queensway, showing several that are broken.

“Many of the wood posts on both the east and west side of the hydro field have rotted at the base and have fallen over, thus making the fence ineffective,” she said.

We went there to take a look and found five toppled posts on the east side of Chartwell Rd., and two on the west side. With nothing to suspend the cable for long stretches, the corridor is wide open to vehicles. STATUS: Nancy Clark, who deals with media for Hydro One, emailed to say the posts and cable should already be fixed by 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.