Parkside Drive speed camera cut down for 6th time in 8 months, despite new security camera

The Parkside Drive speed camera has been vandalized for the sixth time in eight months, one week after a security camera was installed next to it.

The speed camera was cut down for the first time in November last year after the city approved a complete street redesign of Parkside Drive. The damaged speed camera was just re-installed about a week ago after it was cut down yet again last month.

In a statement Wednesday, Faraz Gholizadeh, co-chair of the community group Safe Parkside, called it a case of déjà vu.

"A speed camera that has recently spent more time on its side or in a pond than it has upright and functioning has clearly fallen well short of addressing the dangerous speeding on Parkside Drive," Gholizadeh said. 

He said that Parkside Drive speed camera is not only the most vandalised camera but also the busiest speed camera in the city. It has issued over 68,000 speeding tickets and generated over $7 million in fines to date, according to Safe Parkside. 

The speed camera was installed in 2022 after a speeding motorist killed an elderly couple in a five-vehicle crash.

"The lack of meaningful safety measures remains a big concern on Parkside Drive," Gholizadeh said. "Parkside continues to experience very high numbers of speeding and reckless/careless driving." 

City spokesperson Laura McQuillan said in an email that the city "is working with its vendor and TPS [Toronto Police Service] on solutions to prevent future incidents of vandalism."

A spokesperson for Toronto police said Wednesday that an investigation had not been opened yet.

"The footage from the surveillance camera would be something that officers would review as part of their investigation," police said.