Improving road safety in your Toronto neighbourhood

Two years ago, Flemingdon Park residents asked for a traffic light on a stressful intersection, St. Dennis Drive and Linkewood Lane — and it’s finally being installed.

If you’re caught up on our story on road safety improvements coming to Don Valley East and West, got a bit envious and want pedestrian safety initiatives in your neighbourhood, this guide is for you.

We’ll break down the different ways residents can request the City of Toronto to do something about road infrastructure, whether by installing “Watch Your Speed” signs or making a whole new street plan for the neighbourhood.

Call 311 or create a Service Request online

• You can call 311 to share concerns about specific intersections or roads. 
• You can ask for a safety investigation of an intersection online.
• You can also report pavement damage, potholes, damaged bike lane barriers or other issues that might affect road safety by calling or submitting reports online through the Roads, Sidewalks, Bicycle & Traffic Safety Service Request page.

Request a “Watch Your Speed” sign 

Each ward has a number of mobile “Watch Your Speed” signs, which display the speed of vehicles to encourage drivers to slow down. These signs move around the ward based on residents’ requests and the councillor and City staff recommendations. 

• If there’s a spot you think would benefit from such a sign, you can make a request online, ask your local councillor or call 311.
• Mobile signs are usually at one given location for six to eight weeks, but could be brought back to it if there’s a need.

Contact your local councillor’s office

Your local councillor can help in a couple of different ways other than adding a “Watch Your Speed” sign.

• You can request a Slow Down lawn sign to either pick up at the councillor’s office or a local community event, or to get it delivered to your home. 
• Your councillor can also ask City staff to begin a Traffic Calming Evaluation to explore possible new infrastructure, such as speed humps and new traffic lights. Usually, these evaluations are usually done after the local community expresses interest or support — typically through petitions. Any new measures have to be approved by your relevant community council. For example, that’d be North York Community Council for Flemingdon Park.

Apply for a Neighbourhood Street Plan

While many of the above road safety measures can be implemented quickly, there are also ways to request long-term, comprehensive planning to improve how pedestrians, cyclists and cars move in a neighbourhood. That’s a Neighbourhood Street Plan.

In 2015, Mimico-Queensway residents first spoke out against speeding vehicles. After almost a decade, and lots of persistent advocacy, the Mimico Neighbourhood Mobility Plan is complete. It includes traffic-calming measures, such as speed humps, reduced speed limits, increased signage and road design improvements like curb extensions.

The Green Line got the inside scoop on how this was possible, so you can learn how to do it in your own area. You can check it out here.

Report a driving/traffic complaint to TPS

Last but not least, you can submit a complaint online at Report a Driving/Traffic Complaint, or by calling TPS’ non-emergency number: 416-808-222. 

Does your neighbourhood need some road safety measures? Let us know if you request any changes with this guide by emailing us at hello@thegreenline.to or by commenting on this post.