Vandals have removed one of Toronto's most profitable speed cameras in recent weeks before tossing it into a nearby duck pond.
The Parkside Drive speed camera was cut twice in November – the second time coming a day after it was reinstalled.
Faraj Gholizadeh, a local resident and co-chair of community advocacy group Safe Parkside, said the camera was downed for the third time in the past week. This time, whoever cut it has “taken it to the next level.”
Track markings through High Park show that the duck was dragged through the park from Parkside Drive before being dumped in the pond, where it currently is.
“This time they decided to make it more difficult, more challenging, sending a message that they don't approve of this speed camera,” Gholizadeh said.
Some Parkside residents were surprised by the speed of this latest vandalism.
“The urge to climb up and cut it and not only tear it up, but bring it to the pond and throw it on the ice, it's like a mob hitting a traffic camera. It's crazy,” said Chris Smets.
See | Parkside Drive speed camera vandalized again:
A speed camera in Toronto's West End has been removed for the third time in recent weeks. As CBC's Naama Weingarten reports, police and the city continue to investigate and plan how to handle the incidents.
A spokesperson for the City of Toronto said the city's speed enforcement cameras are a service provided by a vendor and not owned by the municipality, so the vendor will be responsible for replacing and fixing the Parkside Drive cameras.
However, the city is looking into ways to prevent vandalism to the cameras, such as installing remote monitoring, the spokeswoman said.
CBC News contacted the seller who owns the camera on Monday.
Despite frequent vandalism, speed enforcement cameras aren't going anywhere, said Barbara Gray, general manager of Toronto's transportation services.
In fact, the city plans to install 75 more in Toronto, 25 of which will be permanent, she said Monday.
“We know they're effective, we know they have an impact on safety and speed, and that's why we have them in the first place.”
Security concerns remain
Parkside drive cameras netted 1,759 tickets in October, with only two other speed cameras in Toronto catching more drivers speeding over the limit that month, according to city data.
It was established in April 2022 to address residents' safety concerns about the high-traffic road after a collision a year earlier killed an elderly couple.
Gholizadeh said it was disappointing to see cameras being repeatedly targeted to help secure the area. However, he said speed cameras alone won't solve road safety problems and the city wants to make physical changes to the road.
“It's unfortunate that this continues to happen, but what's more unfortunate is that our city isn't doing much to make the streets safer because a camera that cuts by doesn't help,” he said.
“Even when it's up, it's not helping that much. We need more protection and we need it now.”
In November, Toronto City Council voted to support a plan to add new bike lanes to Parkside Drive as part of a larger plan to make the street safer.
Plans include Lake Shore Boulevard W. and Bloor Street W., including new and updated bus stops, and designated turning lanes at intersections.
