Resident concerned for pedestrians at Bayview and Soudan

Screeching tires and sirens can be heard from inside Mr. Smith’s home.

South Bayview resident, Ian Smith, is sick and tired of seeing collisions and injuries near his home at the intersection of Bayview & Soudan Aves. (Parkhurst to the east).  For the last two years he has noticed a steady increase in traffic mishaps in this location and believes that the LRT construction may have something to do with it.  With many drivers avoiding the chaos of Eglinton, they are choosing to frequent side streets, causing traffic issues that may not have existed a few years ago.

Mr. Smith has contacted Mark Saunders, Chief of Police, Toronto Police Service and local Councillors Burnside and Matlow (who share this intersection).  He wants to see this intersection become safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Dear Chief Saunders,

I am a resident living steps away from the intersection of Bayview Ave. and Soudan Ave.

This intersection has a PXO crosswalk installed and has four lanes of traffic on Bayview and two lanes on the Soudan/Parkhurst cross street. The four lanes of Bayview have the PXO crosswalk.

This letter is to request a traffic survey to ascertain if an adult crossing guard is warranted in this location. Alternately, are there are any other tools at your disposal to improve the safety of this dangerous intersection.

I have contacted City Councillors Burnside and Matlow regarding this matter, and my city Councillor Josh Matlow gave me his full support to make this application. I have also spoken with Sgt Matt Moyer at 53 Division about this issue and possible solutions.

Last month we had a meeting on site which included the Councillors and city staff along with a police officer and concerned residents. The meeting was called due to the increase in traffic caused by the LRT and condo construction diverting traffic to the adjacent residential streets. This increase in traffic has brought with it the frequent collisions we are seeing as traffic tries to cross four lanes of traffic at Bayview, during rush hour it is quite hectic and dangerous to cross the street. The police data itself shows a high risk intersection with almost a hundred collisions a year and around a dozen personal injuries each year based on the month of January data.

This is a residential neighbourhood heavy with pedestrian traffic from schools nearby, I am concerned that the intersection controls as they stand today do not perform their intended purpose any longer. A traffic review and the needed improvements are required in the short term to address this new reality.

Thank you for your consideration,

Regards,
Ian G. Smith

We commend Mr. Smith for being pro-active on this issue. If you live in the area, please contact your Councillor and request something be done to increase safety on South Bayview.