The infamous Parkside Dr speed camera has been cut down again. But this time, the local hero and his Sawzall dragged the camera across a muddy field and dumped the $50,000 camera in the High Park a duck pond.
Just based off the hundreds of comments on this YT video, a lot of people are seeing through the BS about community safety, and see this automated speed camera for what it really; a cash grab.
If there was a real, concerted effort to slow traffic down in this area, speed bumps, stop signs, chicanes and other ‘traffic calming’ measures would get the job done. Instead, the city has chosen revenue over safety.
Speed bumps immediately came to mind. You simply cannot speed over those things. $7 million is a chunk of change that I’m sure the city wouldn’t want to give up, but they should think about actually solving the problem, eh?
An elderly couple was killed by a speeder on Parkside Dr a couple years ago. That drew a lot of media attention, and the city stepped in with these cameras, figuring if they hit people in the wallet, they’d stop speeding.
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But once the camera started generating millions of dollars, the city didn’t seem to care that speeding remained a problem.
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Stop signs, speed bumps, problem solved. Elderly people and children would be safe. But there’s no MONEY in that solution.
I saw the part of the video about the people who were killed. Apparently, those cameras haven’t stopped the speeding though. Hard not to be cynical when there is an actual solution to the current problem.
I’m not sure why I am so fixated on the Parkside Dr. speed camera. It’s in the west end and I’m in the end end. It doesn’t impact me personally.
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But I find the entire tale just so pathetic. An elderly couple get killed on their evening stroll. That’s a tragedy. The city can prevent it from happening again, but doesn’t.
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There’s a very vocal community organized in that neighborhood, and even they agreed that the speed cameras which they demanded didn’t fix the problem.
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https://demaras.com/2023/12/10/data-does-not-support-need-for-speed-cameras/
So they decided to enforce school zone speed limits 24/7/365? And it has turned out to be a huge source of income for them? (And that photo had better not be Daniel in his early driving years because it is too cute.)
It just seems like there is a huge lack of justice here.
I hate the dishonesty. Pretending to protect citizens, while actually just picking our pockets.
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I hears that congestion pricing (charging motorists, including taxicabs, for driving downtown) began in NYC today. I may despise the concept, but I respect the honesty. No baloney about safety… just a cash grab.
I completely agree that the cameras are merely an easy way for the city to generate revenue. However, there’s another important point to consider: in other cities across Canada and around the world, cameras are mounted high on poles, well out of reach of vandals.
Can you imagine how much of the taxpayer money have been wasted replacing those cameras that have being put out of work by the Toronto vigilantes?
It makes me think that the city of Toronto and the company that makes those cameras have some very lucrative deal in all of this.
Not to contradict you, sir, but I read that the city doesn’t own the cameras. It’s a private company that installs and repairs them in exchange for a percentage of the revenue.
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So while that company takes the financial hit (not the city) every time I chop the camera down with a Sawzall, it makes no difference. That camera is the top salesman! For those millions in revenue, they don’t mind replacing it.
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But it does show how evil city hall is. An elderly couple got run down on that street, and instead of “improving safety” the fat cats saw a way to make more money.
I didn’t realize that the city doesn’t own the cameras. My conspiracy theory is ruined… LOL. However, I agree that the city administration is corrupt.
Yes. Corruption is everywhere here… they just hide it well.