Since my election in November, I have heard from Leaside residents about traffic and transportation more than any other issue. My team and I have been working to advance new road safety measures and congestion management solutions to address the significant traffic infiltration and safety issues impacting our neighbourhood.
In June, the Infrastructure and Environment Committee approved the installation of two new Intersection Pedestrian Signals (IPS) in Leaside at the following locations:
- – Bayview Avenue and Parkhurst Boulevard/Soudan Avenue; and
- – Bayview Avenue and Sutherland Drive (at the entrance to Mount Pleasant Cemetery).
According to experts, the most common pedestrian collisions resulting in death or serious injury occur at uncontrolled crossings. As part of the City of Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, installing pedestrian protections is one of the most important measures we can take to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions.
Intersection Pedestrian Signals are a new addition to the City’s road safety toolkit. Also known as “Half-Signals,” IPS intersections are pedestrian-initiated, and only have a traffic signal on the main street — in this case, Bayview Avenue – while the side street remains controlled by stop signs. This is not a traffic light in the traditional sense as cars cannot trigger it to engage. As a result, the new IPS will provide a safer crossing protection for pedestrians without encouraging traffic movements onto small, residential streets.
There are a lot of people to thank for these new signals coming to Leaside! Back in 2023, in response to community feedback, Councillor Robinson moved a motion asking staff to review installing IPS at Bayview and Sutherland. As a result of our neighbourhood’s advocacy, the IPS locations on Bayview will be among the first to be installed in the entire city. As part of this rollout, Ward 15 will also get a third IPS signal on York Mills Road at Birchwood Avenue. Our office will be closely monitoring the effects of these new installations to see if they might be the right tool for a few other key spots in Don Valley West on our radar!
