Autumn is upon us

Parking ticket
Is on-street parking in Leaside being ticketed more this year? Staff photo.

It is encouraging to note that over the summer City Council gave the Vision Zero 2.0 program strong support, with its recommendations to reduce speeding on Toronto streets. As I suggested in last month’s column, now that autumn is upon us it’s a good time for Leasiders to show our support for this initiative.

Let our councillor know that we not only support the principle but also the practice of the policy, and ask for the shortening of the Vision Zero timeline. Our neighbourhood streets carry too much fast-moving traffic. We need relief sooner rather than later. Leasiders can start by pushing the City to implement at least some of the traffic-calming proposals included in the plan proposed by the Leaside Property Owners’ Association last December. Let’s hear from you!

Ticket-happy?

Is on-street parking in Leaside being ticketed more often this year? The LPOA has been hearing from a lot of you lately. Theoretically, there is a three-hour parking limit unless signage indicates otherwise, and City sources report that there is little police enforcement unless a neighbour makes a complaint. If this is so, and more of you are discovering parking tickets on your cars, can it be that more people are calling to complain? Just asking!

We are not alone

In August I was on holiday in a small village in Dorset, England, with lots of opportunity to compare people power there with our situation in Toronto. No, I’m not referring to Brexit (although it was impossible to avoid, and too interesting to ignore). Just as the City of Toronto is a “creature of the province,” with limited means of opposing provincial decisions, much of Britain is ruled from the national government, which sets each county’s budgets, targets and policies. All too often, local planning matters which have gone through lengthy local meetings and detailed local processes are reversed or altered from above, sometimes without any consultation whatsoever. Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? We are not alone….

Speaking of empowering citizens, the federal election will be happening in a matter of weeks. The LPOA’s All Candidates’ meeting will take place on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The next monthly LPOA board meeting is on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, at 7:30 p.m., in the Trace Manes building on Rumsey Rd. We invite you to attend and learn what is happening in our community. Our board meetings, which are always open to the public, take place on the first Wednesday of each month.

About Carol Burtin Fripp 136 Articles
Carol Burtin Fripp is Co-President of the Leaside Residents Association, and is Chair of the LRA's Traffic Committee. Over the years, she has served on numerous East York and City task forces. Now a retired television producer (TVO and CBC), she writes Leaside Life's monthly LRA column, and has created a daily international current affairs newsletter read from Newfoundland to New Zealand.