Parkside Drive residents say street 'incredibly dangerous'

Nearly three years after the death of a couple on Parkside Drive, some residents say the street remains incredibly dangerous and more needs to be done now to improve safety.

"It's a very fast road. It's a very dangerous road," said Faraz Gholizadeh, a resident and co-chair of Safe Parkside, a community advocacy group.

"Motorists don't have any consideration for pedestrians, for cyclists."

Gholizadeh and his family have lived on the street, which serves as a gateway to High Park, for a decade. He said he and other residents who are a part of Safe Parkside want significant modifications to be made immediately.

Specifically, he said they want driving lanes reduced — from four down to two — and widened sidewalks.

In October 2021, an older couple were killed while they were stopped at a red light on the street. A man driving at high speed collided with them, police said at the time.

In response, the city launched an ongoing study of the street, reduced the speed limit from 50 km/h to 40, added speed cameras, new traffic signals and signs telling motorists to reduce speed, as well as curb lane parking at all times, when previously parking was prohibited.

This has led to reduced average speeds, the city states on its website. Though last year, Parkside Drive was still listed as one of Toronto'smost ticketed streets for speeding.

Faraz Gholizadeh, a resident and co-chair of Safe Parkside, a community advocacy group, says lanes need to be reduced to make Parkside Drive safer. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)

As of June 2023, going southbound, speeds have decreased from 62 km/h to 51 km/h. Motorists heading northbound have reduced speeds from 55 km/h to 48 km/h.

Those speeds are still above the limit, said Gholizadeh. He says the street's proximity to the highway means cars are entering it at a high speed.

"It's just incredibly dangerous," he said. "I don't see any safety on this street."

Bike lanes coming to Parkside: city

A city spokesperson told CBC Toronto via email that more improvements are planned for the street under itsCycling Network Plan, which was adopted by council at the end of June.

It's proposed that two-way cycle tracks be implemented on the street, along with raised bike and bus platforms that would be implemented between 2025 and 2027.

The city also held a community consultation with Parkside Drive residents in fall 2023, and the spokesperson said a summary of those discussions will be posted on the city's website in the "coming weeks."

The spokesperson said more improvements, including those in the short-term, could come out of the final report on the three-year street study that will be published in the fall.

Cars drive down Parkside Drive. The speed limit was reduced from 50 km/h to 40 after the death of a couple in 2021. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)

But Gholizadeh said the lanes need to be reduced now. He says multiple crashes have occurred just in the last few months.

Resident Lisa Straus said every parent has to have a talk with their kids about Parkside Drive when they move onto the street. She did the same with her kids when she moved there 10 years ago.

"It shouldn't feel like you're taking your life into your hands walking on the sidewalk, going up the street," she said.

Financial constraints slow down change: councillor

Coun. Gord Perks, who represents Ward 4, Parkdale—High Park, introduced the motion that precipitated initial changes to the street, including the speed limit reduction.

He said he understands resident concerns and frustrations, but the drains underneath the road pose a challenge to reducing the number of lanes on the street and widening sidewalks.

"That would mean tearing up the street completely," he said. "It's not something that can happen quickly."

The city does major reconstruction of roads based on their longevity and needs, he said. "I've tried to get Parkside moved up, but we're capital constrained as it is."

Perks said bike lanes are the next step in making the street safer, because they will narrow the street for cars.

"You get effectively the same outcome, in terms of making the street safer to cross, slowing traffic down …. without having to tear up the whole street," he said.

In the meantime, Gholizadeh said he fears another accident is just around the corner.

"That just seems to be the story of Parkside," he said. "Delay after delay and just waiting, and waiting, for safety."