New traffic rules went into effect in early December at the intersection of Bayview Ave. and Parkhurst Blvd./Soudan Ave. Motorists heading east or west are now prohibited from crossing Bayview between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. During those same hours, motorists are also prohibited from turning left onto Bayview; right turns are still allowed at any time, seven days a week.
The intersection and crosswalk is a neighbourhood hot spot for fender benders and pedestrian accidents. In 2013, according to police data, there were two collisions, four in 2014, and eight in 2015. As a result of the increasing frequency of these accidents, Councillor Burnside asked the city’s Transportation Services department to conduct a safety review of the intersection.
Although Transportation Services considered the idea of traffic lights, it decided signs were a less restrictive approach to reducing collisions. The cost: $2,000.
According to an employee of Parkers Cleaners, Toronto Police wrote as many as 30 tickets in a single day for violators of the new traffic restrictions. Leaside Life columnist Will Ashworth lives adjacent to the intersection and has personally seen more than a dozen cars breaking the new rules since their introduction.
Pay attention Leaside. The rules have changed at Parkhurst and Bayview.
