Condo sales signs hide fast-moving traffic from drivers
The signs are strategically placed to get drivers' attention, but some can't get a good look at oncoming traffic.

thestar.com
Jan. 10, 2016
By Jack Lakey

Sandwich-board signs that advertise condos for sale make a much better door than a window.

And when the signs are put up along the curb of a street filled with fast-moving vehicles, drivers trying to turn onto it have a hard time seeing the traffic coming their way.

Among the many concessions made by the public to accommodate the relentless demand for housing in Toronto is the street clutter created by the aggressive marketing, particularly for condos.

A cheap and effective form of advertising is a sandwich-board sign, also known as an A-frame, which can be positioned near the edge of the road to catch the eye of passing drivers.

But when too many signs are clustered on the same small patch of ground, they can amount to a dangerous obstruction that obscures oncoming traffic.

A reader posted a complaint on SeeClickFix about a congregation of A-frames on the north side of York Mills Rd., at the point where it intersects with Old Yonge St.

“On weekends, (real) estate agents place multiple ‘open house’ signs” at York Mills and Old Yonge, said the reader. “These signs block the view of drivers who are turning west onto York Mills from Old Yonge.”

We went there Sunday, when open houses for real estate are in full swing, and found four sandwich boards assembled on the north side of the intersection, where drivers can get a good look at them.

In fact, they get such a good look that it’s hard for them to see approaching traffic on westbound York Mills, when turning from Old Yonge, which is vitally necessary to do it safely.

Worse, the traffic on York Mills is coming over the crest of a hill and heading down into the Hoggs Hollow ravine at the point where it intersects with York Mills; the speed limit is 60 km/h, but many vehicles are moving a lot faster.

STATUS: The city has bylaws prohibiting signs that obstruct the view of traffic along the edge of roads, and other bylaws that specifically target A-frames, which can also be a hazard to pedestrians. We’ve asked Carly Hinks, whose in charge of right-of-way management in North York, if she can send someone to check out the signs and have them removed.