Tire catchers like this one on Yorkville can suddenly throw a cyclist to the curb

Dangerous Grates

Do you remember the 80s? Do you remember getting your first bike, learning to ride it in a parking lot, taking up the entire sidewalk while riding with your friends?

Do you remember when you first felt comfortable enough to take your bike on the road? Do you remember getting your first 'adult' bike, maybe a 10 speed racer? Do you remember riding it down a hill, close to the curb, and then getting thrown off your bike because your tire got caught in one of the old-style sewer grates with the parallel holes?

Since that time the city has undertaken a programme to rid our streets of these menaces to cyclists. For the most part, they've been successful - but their success seems to have brought about complacency. Perhaps the worst offender is Yorkville, between Yonge and Bay; my last ride over that stretch, I counted no less than four tire-eater grates.

These grates are a danger, and there is no reason they shouldn't be replaces post-haste. If you see any others in your travels, let your councillor know.


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