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CBC
09-07-2025
- CBC
Parkside Drive speed camera cut down for 6th time in 8 months, despite new security camera
The Parkside Drive speed camera has been vandalized for the sixth time in eight months, one week after a security camera was installed next to it. The speed camera was cut down for the first time in November last year after the city approved a complete street redesign of Parkside Drive. The damaged speed camera was just re-installed about a week ago after it was cut down yet again last month. In a statement Wednesday, Faraz Gholizadeh, co-chair of the community group Safe Parkside, called it a case of déjà vu. "A speed camera that has recently spent more time on its side or in a pond than it has upright and functioning has clearly fallen well short of addressing the dangerous speeding on Parkside Drive," Gholizadeh said. He said that Parkside Drive speed camera is not only the most vandalised camera but also the busiest speed camera in the city. It has issued over 68,000 speeding tickets and generated over $7 million in fines to date, according to Safe Parkside. The speed camera was installed in 2022 after a speeding motorist killed an elderly couple in a five-vehicle crash. "The lack of meaningful safety measures remains a big concern on Parkside Drive," Gholizadeh said. "Parkside continues to experience very high numbers of speeding and reckless/careless driving." City spokesperson Laura McQuillan said in an email that the city "is working with its vendor and TPS [Toronto Police Service] on solutions to prevent future incidents of vandalism." A spokesperson for Toronto police said Wednesday that an investigation had not been opened yet.
Toronto Sun
09-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Toronto's busiest speed camera cut down for 6th time in 8 months
Theft came week after police installed camera of their own to monitor frequently vandalized equipment The pole along Parkside Dr. where a city speed enforcement camera used to be mounted before it was stolen for the sixth time in eight months. Photo by Courtesy Safe Parkside Installed after a horrific 2021 fatal crash, a busy west-end speed camera has once again been stolen from its perch — to the frustration of those who hoped it would make their neigbourhood safer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account For the sixth time in eight months, a speed enforcement camera on Parkside Dr. was cut down and stolen overnight, despite the installation of a second camera meant to deter further vandalism. Safe Parkside co-chair Faraz Gholizadeh told the Toronto Sun he's beyond frustrated. 'The camera was put there for safety purposes,' he said. 'Parkside is a 2-km street and this camera is at the end of Parkside … but there's still lots of speeding on the street — they just slow down when they reach the camera.' Read More The camera was installed in reaction to a deadly October 2021 five-car crash that claimed the lives of Valdemar Avila, 71, and his wife Fatima, 69, after being rear-ended by a vehicle driven by Artur Kotula, 38, of Burlington — who's serving a 6 1/2-year prison term. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Indeed, the Parkside camera quickly became the busiest automated speed enforcement device in the city — to date issuing nearly 69,000 tickets and generating over $7.3 million in fines. 'The frustration isn't so much with the vandal, it's with the City of Toronto for not doing more, for failing to address speeding on Parkside and letting speeding continue the way it has,' Gholizadeh said. He said drag marks were found leading to a gate with the lock cut off, clearly where the culprit loaded the camera into a vehicle before departing. As the camera's theft is a criminal matter, a city spokesperson declined to comment and referred the Toronto Sun to police. Toronto Police said a report has yet to be filed on the incident and directed comment back to the city. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When pressed, the city spokesperson said they are working with the camera vendor and police on solutions. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Automated cameras operated by the city are not owned by the city and the vendor is contractually obligated to replace the camera within 30 days at no cost to taxpayers. Vandalism of the Parkside camera has become such a large problem that police installed a camera of their own late last month to ostensibly deter future vandals. The Parkside camera has had a troubled history since its installation. The camera was first toppled on Nov. 18, 2024, just three days after city council approved a complete redesign of Parkside. Reinstalled about a week later, the camera didn't last 24 hours before it was again cut down. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Parkside Dr. speed camera was cut down, dragged and dumped into a pond in High Park in December 2024. Photo by Handout / Safe Parkside Less than a month later on Dec. 29, the camera was again cut down and dragged 200 m through High Park, where it was found in a frozen pond. On March 23, the camera was cut down for a fourth time, despite being reinstalled on a thicker pole. That camera lasted until April 19, when it was vandalized for a fifth time. Gholizadeh said the time has come for the city to redesign Parkside, which despite the camera he said has become little more than a ruler-straight 2-km race track. 'People just feel comfortable driving fast on it … it's like an urban highway,' he said. 'The city contends that it's a community safety zone and yet it doesn't meet any of their own minimum safety requirements for an arterial road. 'Only in Toronto would they do something like that and that's where the frustration lies — they've done nothing other than the speed camera and speeding still continues. The numbers speak for themselves.' bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Olympics Basketball Canada Uncategorized Toronto & GTA
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
‘Big concern': Parkside speed camera axed for 6th time despite new surveillance camera
Parkside speed Camera cut down for 6th time in nine months (SafeParkside photo). One of Toronto's most vandalized speed cameras was again chopped down — this time under the watch of a newly installed surveillance camera. The Parkside Drive camera, which re-entered service just last week after being vandalized in May, has now been cut for the sixth time in nine months. In an email to CTV News Toronto, advocates from the group Safe Parkside, say the 'lack of meaningful safety measures' remain a 'big concern' for a street that borders the city's busiest park. Just one week ago, city officials confirmed that a nearby surveillance camera to watch the speed camera was added at the request of Toronto police to monitor the site. The stretch of Parkside, where the speed limit is 40 km/h, remains a hot spot for enforcement and public scrutiny following a deadly 2021 crash. Road safety advocates say the repeat vandalism exposes persistent gaps in street-level protections. How are police responding? Toronto police confirmed they are aware of this latest incident but told CTV News they 'do not have a report on file yet.' However, they have previously stated that charges for damaging the camera—if laid—could include mischief over $5,000. The city is required to replace damaged speed cameras within 30 days. 'Little in the form of safety once again' Faraz Gholizadeh, a member of the group Safe Parkside, says the repeat damage underscores the city's ongoing failure to secure the area. Faraz Gholizadeh + Parkside AED Parkside Drive resident Faraz Gholizadeh stands next to the automated speed enforcement device on Parkside Drive, just south of Algonquin Avenue. For the last six months, the photo radar camera on Parkside Drive has issued the most tickets to speeding drivers in the city. (Supplied photo) 'Despite the recent installation of a surveillance camera watching over the often vandalized Parkside Drive speed camera, the Parkside speed camera was cut down for a 6th time overnight, leaving this dangerous street with little in the form of safety once again,' Gholizadeh told CTV News. Parkside Drive, which borders High Park on the west side and residential homes on the east, has long been flagged as a high-risk area for speeding. 'The lack of meaningful safety measures remains a big concern,' Gholizadeh added. 'Despite Parkside Drive's long and deadly history of speeding, the City of Toronto continues to overlook safety on Parkside Drive year after year.' Last month, police said 11 other speed cameras across the city were also vandalized within the span of a single week.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
‘Big concern': Parkside speed camera axed for 6th time despite surveillance installment
Parkside speed Camera cut down for 6th time in nine months (SafeParkside photo). One of Toronto's most vandalized speed cameras was again chopped down — this time under the watch of a newly installed surveillance camera. The Parkside Drive camera, which re-entered service just last week after being vandalized in May, has now been destroyed for the sixth time in nine months. In an email to CTV News Toronto, advocates from the group Safe Parkside, say the 'lack of meaningful safety measures' remain a 'big concern' for a street that borders the city's busiest park. Just one week ago, city officials confirmed that a nearby surveillance camera to watch the speed camera was added at the request of Toronto police to monitor the site. The stretch of Parkside, where the speed limit is 40 km/h, remains a hot spot for enforcement and public scrutiny following a deadly 2021 crash. Road safety advocates say the repeat vandalism exposes persistent gaps in street-level protections. How are police responding? Toronto police confirmed they are aware of this latest incident but told CTV News they 'do not have a report on file yet.' However, they have previously stated that charges for damaging the camera—if laid—could include mischief over $5,000. The city is required to replace damaged speed cameras within 30 days. 'Little in the form of safety once again' Faraz Gholizadeh, a member of the group Safe Parkside, says the repeat damage underscores the city's ongoing failure to secure the area. 'Despite the recent installation of a surveillance camera watching over the often vandalized Parkside Drive speed camera, the Parkside speed camera was cut down for a 6th time overnight, leaving this dangerous street with little in the form of safety once again,' Gholizadeh told CTV News. Parkside Drive, which borders High Park on the west side and residential homes on the east, has long been flagged as a high-risk area for speeding. 'The lack of meaningful safety measures remains a big concern,' Gholizadeh added. 'Despite Parkside Drive's long and deadly history of speeding, the City of Toronto continues to overlook safety on Parkside Drive year after year.' Last month, police said 11 other speed cameras across the city were also vandalized within the span of a single week.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Yahoo
Safety advocate, residents question council decision to make speed cameras more visible
Toronto is set to install larger, more visible signage around speed cameras, but a safety advocate and some residents near a busy street say the cameras are necessary to keep people safe. City council passed the motion on Thursday, which also limits how many tickets a driver can receive from a single camera before they get their first ticket in the mail. But Faraz Gholizadeh, co-chair of the community group Safe Parkside, said the city is focusing on "trivial" measures instead of redesigning roads that are unsafe. "What you need is changes to the street, something that will actually slow motorists down," he said. "Until the city realizes that, it doesn't matter how big they make signs. It doesn't matter how many speed cameras they put." Residents have long criticized Parkside Drive as dangerous, citing heavy traffic and frequent speeding. In March, a man was sentenced to six and half years in prison for causing a crash on the road that killed a couple. Gholizadeh said Parkside Drive is dominated by motor vehicles, leaving little space for pedestrians and only one sidewalk that does not meet the city's minimum width requirements. "A street that's dominated by a wide, fast lane is going to be treated like a wide, fast highway," he said. The speed camera on Parkside Drive has been cut down five times in the past six months — most recently in May — and has yet to be replaced. Last week, Toronto police said five other speed cameras across the city were reported damaged within just two days. Janet Keeping, who lives near High Park and has family on Parkside Drive, said she is "a little skeptical" council's motion will deter drivers from speeding through them. Still, she supports speed cameras as a necessary measure. "You've got to make it painful … which in this case means, ticket them as often as possible and make the fines really large," Keeping said. WATCH | Toronto announced it will double speed cameras on its streets in March: The council's decision came after Coun. Anthony Perruzza, who represents Humber River-Black Creek, called speed cameras "speed traps" that are entrapping drivers. "They're painted an obscure colour, they're usually hidden. The signs are somewhat hidden," he said, speaking to reporters at city hall on Thursday. "Even if you know where these cameras are, often you'll go by the same location and you're in a distracted way … and you get another fine." But speed cameras have a broader purpose beyond targeting specific streets, said Matti Siemiatycki, director of the Infrastructure Institute at the University of Toronto. "Part of it is to encourage people to slow down everywhere because they might get a ticket," he said. Toronto doubled the number of automated speed cameras it uses to 150 in March. The city's website shows a map of planned camera locations. Research shows speed cameras are effective in slowing drivers and reducing the number of serious injuries and fatalities when collisions happen, Siemiatycki said. He said redesigning roads is another tool the city can use to improve safety, particularly on streets such as Parkside Drive that may encourage speeding based on their design. But public support for stronger road safety measures can fall short, he said. "This is a region that was designed around the car and that car culture is tightly embedded," Siemiatycki said. "The question is, what level of risk are we willing to accept and what level of human cost and suffering are we willing to experience year after year?"
