Road Safety & Vision Zero Plan

[Towered]

The streets around Kensington market need definitely to be pedestrianized. Trucks can have right to enter mornings until 10h for example.

Even the vendors at the St. Lawrence Market are now totally in favor ot pedestrianization Market St.

Mike Layton’s comments made to me:

“This is a complex issue with many stakeholders andI continue to try my best. Vast majority of long time residents in the market disagree with your assessment.”

“I’d encourage you to have an open mind on this. I don’t respond further.”

Very disappointing comments by him in my view. Sad!

As a progressive, he needs to do a lot better to push this.

 

[Admiral Beez]

As a progressive, he needs to do a lot better to push this.

What defines “progressive”? Do we just apply the label to any politician who supports what we want?

 

[nfitz]

What defines “progressive”? Do we just apply the label to any politician who supports what we want?

It's very grey - but surely an NDP central Toronto councillor would be on anyone's list.

 

[crs1026]

^Even alleged “NDP central Toronto councillors” have to consider and balance the interests of the various groups and constituencies within their Ward and across the City. This is, after all, one of the most development-intensive parts of the City….. lots of development will have to be accepted……and the needs of the Kensington business community have to be addressed to some degree if the area is going to retain its mix of businesses and remain interesting.
There’s a not so fine line between being a progressive, open minded, change activist decision maker and being someone tilting at windmills. I would hope that every Councillor on Council tries to be the former. No one should be assumed to be on side without giving a proposal a good tire-kicking. Good Councillors pick their battles.

- Paul

 

[evandyk]

Yeah, Mike Layton pushed forward a bunch of good ideas that the downtown urbanists on this forum (like me!) like. But he also opposed a lot of stuff that we also like. On balance, I think he did a decent job of getting things that were achievable while not spending all his time fighting for things that weren't.

 

[Northern Light]

Getting new sidewalk built in Etobicoke can be more challenging than catching @Amare on an optimistic day! LOL

But, at least one such project has made it through the miasma to the tender stage.

New Sidewalk incoming for North Queen street from The East Mall, westward to Eastside Drive.

That's here: (from where the view originates to roughly the 427 overpass):

 

[Towered]

Etobicoke is definitely a hotbed of anti-sidewalk insurgents. Embarrassing.

 

[crs1026]

Etobicoke is definitely a hotbed of anti-sidewalk insurgents. Embarrassing.

Actually, it's the city's slow progress on planning and funding sidewalks on major roadways, where they are sorely needed, that is embarassing.

Putting a very small emphasis on sidewalks where most needed, while making virtue signalling statements about sidewalks on quiet local streets that represent little gain, is the absurdity.

- Paul

 

[evandyk]

it's "little gain" until you are in a wheelchair or have a baby and push a stroller everywhere.

 

[JasonParis]

On that note, I noticed that the Premier's recently sold home in Etobicoke has no sidewalk.

 

[Amare]

Getting new sidewalk built in Etobicoke can be more challenging than catching @Amare on an optimistic day! LOL

But, at least one such project has made it through the miasma to the tender stage.

New Sidewalk incoming for North Queen street from The East Mall, westward to Eastside Drive.

That's here: (from where the view originates to roughly the 427 overpass:

View attachment 424697

Funny thing is, i've actually walked this stretch a handful of times and is just absurd how there's no sidewalk on either side. The city is clearly asleep at the wheel, promoting "vision zero", meanwhile they expect people to walk on the street or uneven ground to get from point A to point B. Also doesnt help the bus routes in the area dont have great service.

Nevertheless this is really good news, and it's about damn time!

 

[lenaitch]

^^ In Ontario, about half a million speeding tickets alone are issued annually. No clue about the number of other moving violations.

Do you own shares in Serco?

 

[crs1026]

^^ In Ontario, about half a million speeding tickets alone are issued annually. No clue about the number of other moving violations.

Do you own shares in Serco?

If anyone cares, the data is here.

edit: and more granular here


- Paul

 

[DSC]

If anyone cares, the data is here.

edit: and more granular here


- Paul

That's a fascinating Excel sheet and not good that, in Toronto, the average time taken to get 'disposition at trial' for is over 800 days - not only for traffic offences. The figure is also increasing. Justice delayed and all that!

 

[crs1026]

Too much time spent on computer on a lazy long weekend....

I just had to do some data mining on those numbers. Here's my compilation - I highlighted some of the outriding data points. I don't know if there is an actual statistical significance, but the numbers are interesting.

I would theorise that GTA drivers are all pretty much the same, and the differences in numbers are the product of differences in enforcement rather than actual driving differences. The only exceptions I can think of are speed (which will be different the further one gets from downtown Toronto) and maybe stunt driving (again, more open roads in the burbs). I had expected that different practices with red light and speed cameras might produce differences, but these aren't that great.

The biggest difference I could spot is the very low number of tickets issued in Mississauga... a very big difference between Brampton and Mississauga, despite being enforced by the same police force.

Food for thought.

- Paul