Toronto’s most unpopular speed camera issued 3,502 tickets last month alone. Traffic safety group Safeparkside reported this information.
The group has long advocated for speed limits on Parkside Drive. This claim has become particularly strong after the deaths of Valdemar and Fatima Avila in 2021. But they say the location of the speed camera just south of Algonquin Avenue is not enough. Because drivers know very well how to avoid a ticket by driving at a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour.
Faraz Gholizadeh, co-chair of Safe Parkside, said in an interview that only those who live close to the cameras see the real change. But the safety issue for the rest of the roads is still far away. The speed camera is not able to bring the change as per our request.
Everyone at Safe Parkside, including Gholizadeh, thinks bringing bike lanes back to the city is very important. This will encourage people to find car alternatives especially in areas very close to High Park.
Gholizadeh said bike lanes slow down the road. Speed cameras can’t do that. Sin can’t do that either. The city authorities should come forward in this regard and bring it back to the streets.
The City of Toronto has so far collected $3 million in fines issued from the cameras. Most drivers have received a $100 ticket for speeding in this area. Gholizadeh said the issuance of such a large number of speed camera tickets in such a short period of time is really worrying. From this it is clear that there is much more to be done in this regard.
