The collapse of an east-end pedestrian bridge used daily by elementary school students was a “potentially catastrophic event for the city” and municipal officials could have done more to prevent it, according to an internal audit.
The Crescent Town pedestrian bridge, which linked an apartment complex to the Crescent Town Elementary School, collapsed on Nov. 17, 2018 — a Saturday, which residents deemed fortunate given it was not in use by students heading to or from school at the time.
A city review of the incident has now concluded that a lack of enforcement of repair order deadlines, jurisdictional confusion, and an absence of requirements for condition evaluations were among the factors that contributed to a “lack of timely action” by the city and property owners.
“We’re first and foremost very fortunate that nothing happened in terms of injuries, that was a real possibility,” local councillor Brad Bradford told CTV News Toronto.
The bridge is publicly-accessible but privately co-owned by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)and Bleeman Holdings. The collapse occurred on the side of the bridge owned by Bleeman.
The audit found that a TDSB engineer’s report identified cracking and structural disrepair issues on the Bleeman side of the bridge in May 2017, advising that it was not repairable and had to be demolished and replaced. However, Toronto Building staff did not feel they had the grounds or authority to issue to issue an “unsafe” order.
Municipal Licensing and Standards officials had a discussion with Bleeman’s property management firm in August 2017 regarding shoring work that needed to be done, but the company indicated it would not be possible as it would block emergency and solid waste vehicles from accessing the property. Repair work was deferred and no further enforcement was made; the bridge re-opened.
In May 2018, then-councillor Janet Davis expressed concerns to Toronto Building staff regarding the safety of the bridge, and officials attended the site, but said no action was needed. Six months later, it collapsed.
The city says that the Toronto Building and Municipal Licensing and Standards divisions are now moving to implement the audit recommendations, which include developing guidelines for the enforcement of overdue orders and the handover of inspections between the two divisions.
“We need clarity and a standard operating procedure for our orders,” said Bradford. “You have to be able to trust the ground that you’re walking on.”
The city’s chief building official has asked the province to establish a proactive building condition evaluation program, and in the interim has established its own inspection program. As of the beginning of June, the program had inspected 172 pedestrian bridges and identified 15 structures that showed signs of deterioration or a need for significant repairs.
The TDSB told CTV News Toronto it is reviewing the audit’s findings and recommendations.
“We support any steps the city can take to ensure the increased safety of infrastructure,” said spokesperson Ryan Bird.
