There is one crosswalk in Etobicoke Centre that I use almost every day. Sometimes twice a day. Sometimes several times in a single day. It is located on a busy four-lane arterial road. There is a marked crossing with overhead flashing lights. When someone needs to cross, those lights activate, and drivers are required to stop, but too often, they don’t.
Almost every day, someone continues through the crossing when a person is waiting to cross. Sometimes it is one vehicle and sometimes it is several.
I’ve stood there watching people hesitate at the curb, waiting to see whether approaching vehicles will actually stop. I’ve watched drivers slam on their brakes because the vehicle ahead stopped for someone crossing. I’ve seen cars swerve onto the boulevard to avoid a collision. I’ve seen close calls involving the crossing guard, children walking to school, and neighbours simply trying to get across the street.
And the thing is, everyone who uses that crossing knows the dangers, this isn’t a place where people feel safe. Residents have stories. Parents have stories. The crossing guard has stories. Neighbours who walk through the area have stories.
We all know that feeling of standing at the curb and wondering:
“Will that driver actually stop?”
That should never be a normal part of getting around our community and the reality is that this isn’t just about one crossing.
Every neighbourhood has locations like this. A place where parents hold their children’s hands a little tighter. A place where seniors worry they will not finish crossing before the light changes. A place where residents change their route because they don’t feel comfortable.
These aren’t just transportation issues. They affect how connected we feel to our neighbourhoods. They affect whether children can walk independently, whether seniors feel comfortable staying active in their communities, and whether residents feel their streets were designed with them in mind.
Whenever street safety comes up, though, the conversation often becomes polarized.
One side argues for changes to our streets. Another worries about congestion, parking, emergency access, or the impact on drivers. Before long, neighbours find themselves debating one another instead of working together to solve the actual problem.
I don’t think that’s the right conversation.
The question shouldn’t be whether someone is a driver or a pedestrian.
The question should be much simpler:
How do we build neighbourhoods where everyone can move safely?
Because the truth is, most of us are all of these things at different times.
We walk to school. We drive to appointments. We take transit. We walk to local businesses. We help our children learn how to safely navigate their neighbourhoods.
We are not one thing. We are residents trying to get where we need to go. That means good city-building cannot be about choosing sides. It has to be about creating streets that work better for everyone.
It also means recognizing that every neighbourhood is different.
A busy arterial road has different challenges than a quiet residential street. A school crossing has different needs than a commercial area. A solution that works in one part of Etobicoke Centre may not be the right solution somewhere else.
That is why I do not believe in one-size-fits-all answers.
As your City Councillor, I would start by listening.
I would walk neighbourhoods with residents. I would listen to families, seniors, school communities, local businesses, accessibility advocates, and local organizations. I would work with City staff to plan based on the data, the safety concerns, and the lived experiences behind each location. The people who use our streets every day are the ones who know where the problems are located.
The solution for example might be a safer crossing, better visibility, a missing sidewalk connection, changes around a school, or a redesigned intersection.
The point is not to start with a predetermined solution.
The point is to understand the problem well enough to choose the right one.
To me, that is what good local leadership looks like. It isn’t about winning arguments. It is about bringing people together around shared goals. Every parent wants their child to arrive safely. Every senior deserves to cross the street with confidence. Every driver benefits from roads that are predictable and well designed. Every resident deserves to feel safe in their own neighbourhood.
That is the kind of positive impact I want to bring to Etobicoke Centre.
Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing more about what safer streets could look like; from Safe Routes to School, to dangerous intersections, to community walkabouts where residents help identify solutions.
Safer streets are about more than transportation.
They are about independence for seniors, confidence for parents, safety for children, and connection between neighbours.
When people feel comfortable walking through their community, they are more likely to visit local businesses, spend time in parks, meet their neighbours, and participate in community life.
Safe streets don’t just move people, they bring people together.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.