The speed camera on Parkside Drive in Toronto's west end has been cut down for the fifth time in six months, illustrating ongoing safety concerns from local residents. Community group Safe Parkside, co-chaired by Faraz Gholizadeh, reports that the camera was removed recently, adding to a pattern of vandalism that includes prior incidents where the camera was cut down and even dumped into a pond. Residents have long called for action to address heavy traffic and speeding. A tragic accident in 2021, which resulted in fatalities, spurred city initiatives to improve road safety, including the installation of this camera which has issued significant fines to speeding drivers.
Residents have long criticized the street as dangerous, citing heavy traffic and speeding drivers. Safe Parkside was formed in 2020, but residents have been calling on the city to make the street safer for over a decade.
In October 2021, an older couple was killed when they were stopped at a red light on the street and a man driving at high speed collided with them.
Since it was installed in April 2022, the camera has issued over 65,000 tickets and more than $7 million in fines, according to Safe Parkside.
Faraz Gholizadeh, co-chair of the community group Safe Parkside, says the speed camera was taken down sometime Thursday night or early Friday.
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