Now that it’s autumn, you’ll have noticed a significant increase in traffic throughout Leaside. Not just during the 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. ‘official’ peak periods, but also more steadily during the day.
Although a surprising percentage of the traffic is local, much of it is long distance, both flow-through commuter and commercial in nature. You can tell that Toronto is experiencing a construction boom just by looking at our streets.
Leasiders are also quick to notice a more recent increase in heavy truck traffic, especially at night. For many of us, uninterrupted sleep is a thing of the past. This year, the Leaside Residents Association (LRA) has been receiving more complaints than in the past, particularly about noisy middle-of-the-night construction-related trucks, some also with heavily-laden trailers. Many of them are driven at speeds well above the posted speed limits.
It is no wonder that residents are asking more questions than ever about the ongoing work taking place on the City’s Leaside Neighbourhood Transportation Plan (LNTP). We are all eager to move forward to see real results. Some positive news: Councillor Jaye Robinson’s staff assured me recently that the LNTP team is working on holding another public consultation meeting this fall. Consultation that, we hope, will lead to action.
In-person AGM on our agenda!
I am also pleased to announce that the LRA will be able to host an in-person Annual General Meeting this year, our first since the pandemic. It will take place in late November or early December in the William Lea Room at Leaside Gardens. The exact date will be confirmed shortly, based on key guest speakers’ availability. We’ll also present a full report on the LRA’s recent work.
This is a critical and important moment in our city’s history. There are more big issues to debate than ever, all critically important: the housing crisis and its pressures on neighbourhoods like ours; Toronto’s fiscal problems and potential policies; the provincial/municipal power and policy imbalance; the environment; and traffic gridlock, to name but a few. Leasiders have strong opinions on these topics. We see our AGM as a good forum to express them and to be heard by the elected representatives in attendance! In my next column I will report in more detail. I hope you will make a point to attend, and have your say.
The LRA board meets on the first Wednesday of each month, in the Trace Manes building at Rumsey and Millwood, and we welcome deputations and attendees. Our next meeting will take place on Wed., Oct. 4th, at 7:30 p.m. Please join us if you’d like to participate or watch. To learn more: www.leasideresidents.ca.
