Amid heavy rain, one Etobicoke resident says his transit stop looks more like a swimming pool.
Steve Ulrich takes the TTC from the booming Park Lawn and Lake Shore area of south Etobicoke. The city just installed brand new streetcar tracks on Lake Shore Boulevard West, but Ulrich says the redesign can’t handle wet weather.
“The flooding, in my opinion, has gotten worse than it was before the construction,” he told CBC Toronto. “Makes you wonder what our tax dollars are paying for if the flooding wasn’t resolved.”
Right now, only buses are running on the newly-built tracks due to construction further down the line. Ulrich says he’s concerned the recent flooding will damage the tracks, delaying the return of streetcars to the line. He’s contacted the TTC about his concerns, as well as 311. On Tuesday, 311 responded via Twitter and said the transportation services department is looking into it.
The TTC says the city’s water and transportation services departments are in charge of the design and construction of the line. CBC Toronto is also following up with city staff as well as the local councillor on this matter.
Ulrich says taking transit in the area is “already a struggle” but it’s something he’s committed to doing, even though he owns a car. Still, on Tuesday morning, his frustration was evident during a phone interview.
Ulrich crossed illegally to get to the island because the crosswalk was underwater, then spent several minutes hoping to not get sprayed by passing cars. “My legs are already wet … there’s not many places to go when you’re in the middle of the road on a streetcar island and cars are flying by,” he said.