Bent cover above ‘trench drain’ sends woman for a tumble

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It's the little things — like a raised edge on a sidewalk drain cover – that add up to big trouble for pedestrians who don't see them.

In a city as big as Toronto, thousands of tripping hazards are lurking along its 7,900 kilometres of sidewalks. It's a miracle that more people aren't sent sprawling every day.

All but a few pedestrians spot the hazards and waltz around them, while serendipity protects most others from a painful encounter. But there are still a few unlucky people who get the worst of it.

Louise Lundy emailed me about a small but deadly tripping hazard in the sidewalk along the north side of The Esplanade, near Scott Street, just one short block from Yonge Street.

She and her granddaughter were walking along The Esplanade recently, "when suddenly, a lady walking east towards us tripped and went flying and landed on her right side, on her hip.

"Thank goodness she was shaken but otherwise Ok. We looked to see what had tripped her and found a decorative metal grate on the sidewalk that was sticking up just enough to trip someone.

"As I had experienced a similar fall last autumn, I know how long it takes to recover, and that she could have suffered a much worse result. Someone should hammer down this dangerous bump so no one else has to suffer."

I went there and found a long, narrow "trench drain," which funnels rainwater runoff into tree pits in which street trees are planted. The cover that runs above it was pinched on one side and protrudes above the surrounding sidewalk.

I’m guessing here, but I think a sidewalk snow plow caught the edge of the trench cover, peeled it up and created a trip hazard that no one would notice until somebody snagged their foot on it and went sprawling.

STATUS: Eric Holmes, a spokesperson for transportation services, emailed to say "the trench drain is within the sidewalk right-of-way. Transportation Services staff will investigate and make any necessary repairs to the drain cover."

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