Item - 2021.TE26.85

The Toronto and East York Community Council:

1. Directed the General Manager, Transportation Services to investigate, and to report back to Toronto and East York Community Council on:

a. The potential to install traffic calming measures on Yorkville Avenue, such as speed humps, between Bay Street and Avenue Road.

b. The potential to install a Red Light Camera at the intersection of Yorkville Avenue and Avenue Road.

c. The potential to designate the area around Yorkville and Avenue Road a Community Safety Zone, due to its proximity to local schools and seniors facilities. If the area is already a designated Community Safety Zone, to add additional signage to that effect.

d. The potential to install Automated Speed Enforcement on Avenue Road, immediately north of the Yorkville Avenue intersection.

e. The potential to install "Quiet: Residential Area" signs on Yorkville's residential streets.

Toronto is seeing an unprecedented number of high performance vehicles and motorcycles speeding and drag racing throughout the city, often with modified mufflers that emit extremely disruptive levels of noise. Yorkville feels this pressure more than most areas. It has become a destination for people with loud vehicles making their presence known, while driving recklessly and dangerously.

I have received reports of up to 40 motorcycles loudly gathering on Yorkville Avenue at a time; drivers of cars parking in the middle of the street, blocking traffic and revving their engines to antagonize passerbys; and drag racing on Avenue Road and nearby streets on a daily basis, often until 2 or 3 in the morning. These motorists are putting residents' safety at risk, keeping them up at night, and significantly impacting their quality of life.

The City's noise bylaw falls short when it comes to the prohibition of amplified vehicular noise. Furthermore, there are significant service gaps with respect to enforcement action against stunt drivers and street racers. A number of my colleagues on City Council have recently put forward motions directing Transportation, MLS, and Toronto Police to report back to Council and various Committees in the coming months on how the City can make greater investment into technology and resources to fight this noise and dangerous driving.

However, in order to ensure that Yorkville is a safe and liveable environment, additional action is necessary. Where possible, Community Council must take steps to reduce the speed and danger posed by these vehicles, through provision of the following measures as quickly as possible.