Supply chain issues blamed for delayed repairs to elevators at Liberty Village pedestrian bridge

Almost five months after the Liberty Village pedestrian bridge’s elevators were rendered unusable by a fire, the City of Toronto says supply issues are to blame for the delay in repairing them.

Residents have called the new $12-million pedestrian bridge in Liberty Village, which opened just a year ago, a major disappointment

The vital shortcut connects the bustling downtown community to King Street West, but the bridge has been inaccessible for a third of its life span.

Since last November, the only way to use the enclosed walkway that arches over the train tracks is to climb three flights of stairs, rendering the bridge unavailable to many in the neighbourhood.

Area resident Vanda, who first alerted CityNews to the issue back in March, is dumb founded it’s gone on this long.

“How can we ever be a world-class city when we can’t even keep our public spaces cleaned and functioning regularly for all people to enjoy?” she said.

In early March, the City said, “Several divisions are working to repair the elevators and bring them back to working order as soon as possible.” A timeline was never provided and six weeks later, the elevators are still out of service.

CityNews reached out again asking for an explanation and are now being told repairs have been delayed by global supply chain issues.

In a statement, the city said, “Staff met recently and developed an action plan to implement the necessary repairs.” It’s now anticipated the elevators will be working within weeks.

Inaccessibility is one of several issues plaguing the Liberty Village bridge since it opened last April. Concerns about safety, vandalism and loitering have also been reported by residents.

Vanda tells CityNews the situation is disheartening.

“It’s disappointing that we cannot rely on our municipal government to not only listen to our concerns but to take action in a timely manner when these concerns come to pass.”