Toronto’s most notorious speed camera has been vandalized for a fourth time in the last five months.
According to the neighbourhood group Safe Parkside, the camera located south of Algonquin Avenue was cut down again recently, “leaving this dangerous stretch of road with little in the form of safety.”
The last time the camera was vandalized was back in December when it was cut down and disposed of in a pond in High Park. Prior to that, the camera was cut down twice in 25 hours last November.
According to City of Toronto data, the camera is among the highest-grossing, generating more than $7 million in fines to date.
“Since its installation, the Parkside Drive speed camera has generated millions in revenue for the City of Toronto while providing little in the form of safety for Parkside residents and visitors,” the group said in a statement, noting that a motorist was recently clocked going 154 km/h on the stretch of roadway – nearly four times the posted speed limit.
“Parkside residents continue to sound the alarm, and the City of Toronto continues to fail in addressing the dangerous conditions that persist on Parkside Drive.”
The Parkside Drive speed camera was installed following the death of two seniors who were killed in a multiple-vehicle crash at the intersection of Parkside Drive and Spring Road on Oct. 12 of 2021.
Last October, city council endorsed a road safety plan for the area that would see the installation bi-directional cycling lanes on the west side of Parkside Drive, reducing the number of motor vehicle lanes to one southbound and one northbound lane.
