Peel police are increasing their presence in a busy Mississauga plaza this weekend in their ongoing efforts to curb dangerous driving in the area.
Ridgeway Plaza, located at Eglinton Avenue W. and Ridgeway Drive, has been the subject of ongoing complaints by local residents and businesses.
Common offences include dangerous driving, stunt driving, unnecessary noise and disobeying road signs, police say. Large gatherings in the plaza are also a concern.
Last month, a motorcyclist died after colliding with a vehicle near the plaza.
“This is having a negative impact and a negative focus on the plaza,” said Matt Mahoney, deputy mayor of Mississauga and councillor for Ward 8, where the plaza is located.
“Families don’t want to go there, they don’t want to bring their kids there. This has to stop.”
Ridgeway Plaza can draw as many as 5,000 to 6,000 people at a time, Const. Tyler Bell told CBC Toronto. He said the plaza is surrounded by a large residential area in the north and east.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday afternoon, Peel police said they were increasing their presence in the plaza from Friday to Sunday to target offences under the Highway Traffic Act.
Close to midnight Friday, police said on X they had made more than 40 traffic stops and laid “even more charges,” though they did not specify how many.
Multiple vehicles were impounded and “large disruptive crowds dispersed,” the post said.
Among those apprehended Friday, Const. Tyler Bell said police caught a driver who was travelling 98 km/hr in a posted 50 km/hr zone.
The driver’s licence was suspended and their vehicle was set to be towed, Bell said in a video posted on X.
Nearly 250 charges laid in area over Labour Day weekend
Over the Labour Day weekend, Peel police conducted a similar project in Ridgeway Plaza in response to community concerns.
In a news release Sept. 5, police said nearly 60 officers were present in the area around the plaza during the Labour Day weekend, laying nearly 250 driving-related charges and seizing 14 vehicles.
Manan Gupta, a board member of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals, said plazas around Peel Region have reported issues with street racing and illegal driving manoeuvres. (CBC)
Peel police Chief Nish Duraiappah said a “wide range of demographics” are involved in street racing in the area.
Bystanders who watch the racing are also putting themselves at risk, he said.
“[When] environmental issues negatively affect those that live and work in that area, it’s our responsibility to help contribute to the solution,” Duraiappah said.
Plazas around Peel Region have reported issues with street racing and illegal driving manoeuvres, said Manan Gupta, a board member of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals.
He said plazas with large parking lots tend to attract speed racers, particularly during early mornings, late evenings and long weekends.
“Peel police is doing its part [but] it is also dependent upon the plaza management and the local community… to inform police about any unlawful activity,” Gupta said.
Plaza has too many restaurants: Mississauga mayorÂ
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish said Ridgeway Plaza has too many food outlets and not enough parking. She said driving-related issues in the area have worsened over the past couple of years. (Ivan Arsovski/CBC)
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish said Ridgeway Plaza has too many food outlets and insufficient parking to meet demand.
She said the city can’t control the number of restaurants in the plaza, as that comes under provincial regulations.
“The cars are all over the place. It creates an atmosphere of recklessness and it’s just bad behaviour,” Parrish said.
She said driving-related issues in the plaza have worsened over the past couple of years.
Speaking at Ridgeway Plaza Friday night, Bell said Peel police will “be out here in numbers, not just this weekend but many more weekends to come.”
“We want you to have a good time here…but you’ve got to do it respectfully and be mindful of the residents in the area,” he said.