Despite persistent vandalism, the battle over the Parkside Drive speed camera continues.
The city’s busiest speed camera was cut down three times in the last two months.
In December, when the traffic monitoring system was beheaded for a third time, it was also tossed into the nearby High Park duck pond, where it still remains frozen in the water. The camera also earlier had its lens spray-painted.
This week, the camera was again reinstated but with a different design. The camera now sits atop a thicker, metal pole measuring about 20 centimeters wide. The actual camera rests on an extended L-shaped bar about 12 feet off the ground.
A TorontoToday inquiry into the effectiveness of the speed camera found collisions on Parkside Drive dropped by an average of about 20 per cent, or one incident per month, since the first camera was installed in April 2022.
A spokesperson for the City of Toronto told TorontoToday the city “condemns all acts of theft and vandalism,” but noted the city does not own the speed camera.
A spokesperson said the camera is provided by a vendor who also incurs all repair costs. The camera company has to replace it within 30 days.
"The vendor has installed a new type of pole that will make it more difficult to vandalize the camera and hopefully prevent further incidents from happening," the city said Friday.
It is also considering monitoring the cameras.
"The City is exploring solutions including remote monitoring that may help alleviate some of the vandalism issues," the spokesperson added.
The Parkside camera has issued Toronto's highest total of speeding tickets across the city — over 65,000 from April 2022 to October 2024.
During its first month of operation, the Parkside camera issued its largest number of tickets, totalling 3,586.
A comprehensive redesign of Parkside was approved by city council last fall and aims to make the area safer.
Parkside Drive can be a busy thoroughfare for motorists driving between Bloor Street West and Lakeshore Boulevard. However, the roadway also forms a barrier between a residential neighbourhood and High Park, which many pedestrians must work out how to cross safely.
Speeding is common on Parkside Drive, where the limit is 40 km/h.
The camera was installed after two people were killed in a multi-vehicle collision in 2021.
Parkside Drive’s speed camera isn’t the only one to be targeted by vandals. A speed camera on Avenue Road was also cut down this month.
— With files from TorontoToday’s Patrick Cain
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from a City of Toronto spokesperson.
