‘Frustrated’ mayor Tory vows action on Liberty Village bridge elevators

Residents in Liberty Village are demanding immediate action from the City as the elevators to a multi-million dollar walkway have now been out of service for almost a year.

A fire in the elevator on the south side of the King-Liberty Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge in November 2021 caused significant damage, forcing the closure of the walkway which connects King Street to Western Battery Road. A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with several arson-related offences.

Elevator service has been unavailable for the last 10 months and the only way to use the enclosed walkway that connects the bustling downtown community to King Street West is to climb three flights of stairs, making the bridge inaccessible to many in the neighbourhood.

“We are already confined in the neighbourhood as it is because the City just keeps building and doesn’t think about about the usage of the streets, so for pedestrians it was a great way to get across or out of Liberty,” this resident tells CityNews.

Back in March city officials told CityNews a timeline for repairs would be announced in the coming days. A month later we were told supply chain issues were to blame – and they anticipated repairs would be done in a matter of weeks. But weeks have now turned into months and those repairs have yet to begin.

Residents have been calling 311 numerous times to try and get answers and their frustrations have now reached all the way up to Mayor John Tory’s office.

“We worked really hard, including me, to get that bridge built and it’s very frustrating the elevator is not fixed,” said Tory, who plans to escalate the issue at City Hall.

“Thanks to the inquiry from CityTv I have asked for a report on Monday morning from city staff on how we can speed things up. But there are a lot of things being delayed these days by supply chain issues … but I am frustrated, as are the people who live around there, and we will get it done as soon as we can.”

Safety concerns since it opened

The pedestrian walkway took 10 years to plan and build at a cost of $12 million, despite a number of safety concerns raised by area residents. During public consultations in 2016, residents were very vocal about their desire for an open-air concept with ramps – not elevators – but the City said that was not possible because of grading issues.

The bridge opened in April 2021 and while many residents say they are happy it was constructed, drug use and loitering in the elevator vestibules have caused safety concerns for those using it, especially at night. Graffiti also lines the bridge and the staircases on both ends.