For the 2nd time this month, a charge enforcement video digital camera implied to seize car drivers taking a visit as nicely fast on Parkside Drive has truly been decreased on the excessive web site site visitors highway in Toronto’s west finish that’s been the subject of security and safety issues for a number of years.
Faraz Gholizadeh, a neighborhood citizen and co-chair of space campaigning for workforce Safe Parkside, said he noticed the speed enforcement video digital camera had truly been decreased Saturday early morning. Gholizadeh said he noticed workers re-installing it a day beforehand, after it had truly been ruined a few weeks earlier.
“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 consultant for the City of Toronto validated that this the 2nd time this month that the video digital camera has truly been decreased. The metropolis’s provider is presently evaluating the damages to the speed video digital camera and will definitely create a put together for restore work, the consultant said.
Parkside residents have prolonged grumbled that the highway is unbelievably dangerous due to the frenzy hour and car drivers taking a visit as nicely fast. Last 12 months, the highway coated the guidelines for probably the most dashing tickets gathered within the metropolis.
The highway works as a big north-south arterial roadway, with round 21,000 vehicles and 1,000 transportation people taking a visit on it day by day, in response to a recent city staff report.
VIEW|Residents voice security and safety issues over Parkside Drive:
The exact same report said there have truly been just about 1,500 crashes on Parkside Drive within the earlier years, inflicting 5 important accidents and three fatalities.
Gholizadeh said the highway has important security and safety issues. “If the city doesn’t act soon, more people are going to get injured, more people are going to die.”
Faraz Gholizadeh has truly been supporting for security and safety enhancements to Parkside Drive for a number of years. (David Hill/ CBC)
Luke Kus lives close by from the speed video digital camera and has truly stayed within the location for close to twenty years. He states he’s noticed quite a few memorials for people which have truly been eradicated in crashes on the highway all through the years.
“There’s definitely a lot of the potential for accidents,” he said.
Kus said it’s “shameful” that the video digital camera has truly been ruined as soon as extra offered simply how dangerous the roadway might be, notably for pedestrians.
In October 2021, an older couple were killed whereas they have been give up at a site visitors sign on the highway and man driving at broadband rammed them.
This triggered town to launch a recurring analysis research of the highway, lower the speed limitation from 50 km/h to 40, embrace charge video cameras and brand-new web site site visitors indicators and indicators informing car drivers to lower their charge.
Earlier this month, Toronto frequent council elected to suggest a method to at brand-new bike lanes to Parkside Drive as part of a much bigger technique to make the highway a lot safer. The technique moreover consists of together with junction security and safety enhancements at Lake Shore Boulevard W. and Bloor Street W., brand-new and upgraded bus quits, and marked remodeling lanes at crossways.
Gholizadeh said he’s assured relating to the precaution within the brand-new technique but slammed for a way lengthy town has truly required to develop 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.”
VIEW|City beneficial redesign to Parkside Drive:
