A Toronto resident is shining light on traffic congestion in the city by posting a video on Twitter that shows a car driving up on a sidewalk in a residential area to get around stopped vehicles.
“This is a very common occurrence in front of my house,” Matthew Slutsky wrote on Twitter.
The video appears to show a white car drive up on the sidewalk in order to dodge the traffic that was clogging up the street.
“Kids are going to get killed. This is so unsafe,” Slutsky continued.
The post ends with #VisionZero, which is the City of Toronto’s road safety plan that focuses on reducing traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto streets. It is supposed to address vulnerable users of the transportation system, including cyclists, pedestrians, children, and seniors.
The post has been making the rounds on social media and has garnered a multitude of replies from concerned people.
“Why is there a car driving on the sidewalk? (and on the complete wrong side of the road, too)? Not that there’s ever a “good” reason to drive on a sidewalk, but I’m curious what event(s) lead to this action,” Twitter user Marc Dempsey wrote.
“It is a common occurrence. Due to the Crosstown construction on Eglinton, the side streets can become a mess cause about 30 minute backups on the side streets and around West Prep school. So dangerous,” Slutsky responded.
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The Crosstown LRT Twitter account also responded to Slutsky’s post and said “safety is our top priority.”
“We work closely with our constructor and our partners to ensure traffic configurations during construction are safe for all, including our own crew. Construction or not, there is no excuse to be driving illegally like this,” the response continued.
Mayor John Tory commented on the video at an unrelated press conference Friday morning, saying there is “no excuse for that sort of thing.”
“Cars shouldn’t drive on sidewalks and can’t drive on sidewalks no matter what is going on unless they are directed to do so by a police officer,” he said.
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