For the second time this month, a speed enforcement camera meant to catch drivers travelling too fast on Parkside Drive has been cut down on the high traffic street in Toronto’s west end that’s been the subject of safety concerns for years.
Faraz Gholizadeh, a local resident and co-chair of community advocacy group Safe Parkside, said he noticed the speed enforcement camera had been cut down Saturday morning. Gholizadeh said he observed workers reinstalling it a day earlier, after it had been vandalized a few weeks ago.
“Obviously someone’s very upset and offended by the presence of the speed camera, which is kind of confusing because it’s there for safety purposes,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it’s not really doing what it’s intended to do because the street is still very dangerous. But to cut it down is definitely not the answer.”
A spokesperson for the City of Toronto confirmed that this the second time this month that the camera has been cut down. The city’s vendor is currently assessing the damage to the speed camera and will develop a plan for repairs, the spokesperson said.
Parkside residents have long complained that the street is incredibly dangerous due to the heavy traffic and motorists travelling too fast. Last year, the roadway topped the list for the most speeding tickets garnered in the city.
The street serves as a major north-south arterial road, with around 21,000 vehicles and 1,000 transit users travelling on it each day, according to a recent city staff report.
WATCH | Residents voice safety concerns over Parkside Drive:
Residents near High Park are asking the city to move faster on implementing changes to make Parkside Drive safer. The road has long been known for dangerous driving and accidents, but people in the neighbourhood say the city isn’t listening to their concerns. CBC’s Olivia Bowden has more.
The same report said there have been nearly 1,500 collisions on Parkside Drive in the past decade, leading to five serious injuries and three deaths.
Gholizadeh said the street has serious safety concerns. “If the city doesn’t act soon, more people are going to get injured, more people are going to die.”
Luke Kus lives across the street from the speed camera and has lived in the area for close to 20 years. He says he’s noticed several memorials for people who have been killed in collisions on the street over the years.
“There’s definitely a lot of the potential for accidents,” he said.
Kus said it’s “shameful” that the camera has been vandalized again given how dangerous the road can be, especially for pedestrians.
In October 2021, an older couple were killed while they were stopped at a red light on the street and man driving at high speed collided with them.
This prompted the city to launch an ongoing study of the street, reduce the speed limit from 50 km/h to 40, add speed cameras and new traffic signals and signs telling motorists to reduce their speed.
Earlier this month, Toronto city council voted to endorse a plan to at new bike lanes to Parkside Drive as part of a larger plan to make the street safer. The plan also includes adding intersection safety improvements at Lake Shore Boulevard W. and Bloor Street W., new and updated bus stops, and designated turning lanes at intersections.
Gholizadeh said he’s optimistic about the safety measures in the new plan but criticized how long the city has taken to come up with them.
“You don’t need three years to study it. You just need to open your eyes, take one look and be like, this is unacceptable.”
WATCH | City proposed redesign to Parkside Drive:
A dangerous stretch of Parkside Drive could see a redesign that city staff say will make the road safer. Proposed changes include a 3.8-kilometre two-way cycle track. But the track could face a roadblock after Ontario pitched a new law this week requiring municipalities to get provincial approval for new bike lanes that take out a lane of traffic. CBC’s Chris Glover has more.