Frequently vandalized Parkside Drive speed camera re-installed Monday

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The much vandalized Parkside Drive speed camera was reinstalled Monday after most recently coming down on July 9.

The citizen’s group, Safe Parkside, complained about the length of time it had taken to replace the device,  but the city said in an email to the Toronto Sun on Monday that the vendors had 30 business days to re-install the camera that has been vandalized six times in the last eight months. Monday marked the 24th business day.

Toronto Police Chief-Supt. Kelly Skinner told reporters on Monday that the vandalization of speed cameras were “happening across the city.”

“We have 16 different uniformed police divisions. The one division has taken on that lead to see if they can find any type of link between the incidents. So we are investigating thoroughly, of course,” said Skinner. “We know that speed and the death that comes with it, is 100% preventable.”

The Parkside speed camera was installed after a speeding motorist killed an elderly couple in a horrific five-car crash in October 2021.

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According to Safe Parkside, which cited City of Toronto statistics, “since its (2022) installation, the Parkside speed camera has become Toronto’s busiest issuing a whopping 68,592 speeding tickets and generating $7.3 million in estimated fines, including a ticket to a motorist travelling 154 km/h or nearly 4 times the posted speed limit of 40 km/hr.”

The group noted that an accident that happened on Sunday is an example of dangerous driving on the roadway.

“Witnesses describe a northbound motorist driving at a high rate of speed and crashing into a stopped car, resulting in a chain reaction crash involving four cars on Parkside Dr. — between Wright Ave. and High Park Blvd. — around 6 p.m., shutting down the northbound lane and reducing the southbound lanes to one,” said Safe Parkside in a statement.