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| Not Leaside |
As Toronto sets out on a $300,000 traffic study of Leaside it would be helpful not to get carried away with exaggerated ideas about the nature of traffic. The only real solution to less traffic is fewer vehicles. That doesn’t seem likely. There is always going to be rush hour traffic. Journalism has burdened this discussion with the spectre of the dreaded gridlock. In fact there is almost no gridlock in Toronto. Gridlock occurs when vehicles interlock at an intersection to prevent forward motion. It’s against the law for drivers to let this happen. Don’t block the box and all that. Moreover, rush hour isn’t just about drivers. Residents, like those along Southvale Dr. would be pleased to see fewer cars on their street. John Parker (Ward 26) has told the Post magazine that the extension of Redway Drive over to the Bayview extension is needed. Maybe. In the past, residents of Rosedale have lobbied against the Redway extension. In this regard, the traffic study would do well to find out how many drivers really want to drive south on the Bayview extension. We suspect many of them prefer Mt. Pleasant and the extension into the heart of mid-town. But that’s a slow crawl for motorists because of the long-standing no turns that control traffic through Moore Park. Homeowners pitted against motorists. This thorny issue will haunt the Leaside traffic study, you may be sure. Some such ancient battles are now largely forgotten even though their outcomes continue to bless and bedevil. Few remember the epic fight conducted to save the wide sidewalks of South Bayview. In the end, our little high street was saved from the fate of Mt. Pleasant Rd. But the traffic is worse. And we love it. Study that!
