It's Man Vs. Oncoming Traffic & It's Crazy!

Here's a note from Melissa, a local Oxton-Oriole neighborhood resident, who writes...

I live right at the corner [of] Oriole Parkway and Oxton and was thrilled when I saw you had started this course of action.

I love living in this part of Toronto; my only complaint has been coming to and from my apartment every day. I actually feel that my senses become very very heightened when I have to deal with the ridiculous lack of pedestrian safety.

It is like man vs. oncoming traffic. I suppose in some ways you get used to having to look for traffic coming at you from all angles - when I have family (which includes an eight month old nephew) and friends visiting, they are always so frightened and overwhelmed to cross the road which again reminds me of how brutal and life endangering it really is.

We should have some of the key leaders in these municipal decisions come and cross the street a few times at heavy traffic times to see what this is like. I find the comment on the website interesting about walking further (see main page: Issues) to use the street lights.

If you are heading north, you still have to cross that crazy "Pedestrians wait for Gap" section. This sign alone is a good laugh, it sounds like you are signing a waiver to hike an active volcano or something. If you go south to the next set of lights... well who would do this? That would add a lot of extra minutes on to get to the subway and seems a ridiculous approach if you want to head north.

Good luck, and thanks for taking this on!!

Melissa (Last name and email address withheld by request)

Crossing Oxton A Nightmare...!

Here's a note from Ruth, a local Oxton-Oriole neighborhood resident, who writes...

I just wanted to thank you again for all the effort you are putting into this petition...I live right on the corner of Oriole and Oxton, I have lived here for 11 years now and it’s getting to be intolerable...is it really worth the danger and sleepiness nights?

Well just the other morning I was trying to cross south to north...Anyway the first car did stop with no issues, but it was the car behind that had problems with what I did, I could not believe this guy he was honking at me and giving me the finger, swearing at me, I don’t need to put up with this nonsense it’s uncalled for.

Another incident I witnessed...a car was approaching the corner to make a right onto Oriole Pkwy and of course the car stopped, well the car behind obviously laid on the horn...[the driver] just couldn’t wait for the car in front to make the turn, so this driver...went around the car in front of her into the on coming lane and made her right, unfortunately for her, a car traveling north on Oriole that was waiting to make a left onto Oxton realized what was happening and didn’t proceed with her left.

How much longer do we have to suffer? Do we have to wait for a fatality? I also want to mention that I also have a underground parking spot at Oxton & Oriole, and let me tell you, if I’m traveling southbound on Oriole Pkwy and I have to try and make a quick lane change to get into the right lane and actually turn in the driveway, well I don’t think I need to explain.

Being a victim of a pedestrian accident and is here to talk about it. I was very lucky to survive my ordeal, it was several years ago (when the stop sign was still in place) I was crossing south to north at Oxton, when a car traveling northbound on Oriole Pkwy made a left onto Oxton, well she hit me… this car came from behind I didn’t see it coming. This happened right in front of my daughter, luckily my daughter was already on the other side of the street, I couldn’t imagine the devastation if she’d being walking right beside me. I did a year of rehabilitation and I still feel a little discomfort now and then.

I’m very concerned for the safety of my neighbors and my daughter. My daughter is a teenage now, and she crosses there all the time to visit her friend who live just north on Oriole Pkwy.

Please, we need to deal with this matter now, don’t put it off any longer.

I think we need to start a picket line. How else are we going to get drivers to be more aware of danger they are causing!

Ruth (Last name and email address withheld by request)