At what point should the city replace a crosswalk with a proper traffic light?

After a sustained increase in the number of vehicles rolling through? After an influx of families with young kids in the area? After multiple people get injured? After somebody gets killed?

These are the types of questions members of The Danforth East and Woodbine Community Facebook group are asking this week after a 12-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle at a local intersection.

COLLISION:
Gerrard St E & Norwood Rd
- young female pedestrian struck
- officers o/s
- possible arm injury to pedestrian
- driver & vehicle remained o/s
- @TorontoMedics has taken injured party to hospital w/ serious injuries
- ROAD CLOSURE: Main St at Gerrard St E#GO450742
^al

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) March 3, 2020

The child was walking across Gerrard Street East near Norwood Avenue on Tuesday afternoon around 3:30 p.m., according to witnesses who spoke with Beach Metro News, when she was hit by a white Lexus SUV.

The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and the girl was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Police say she sustained a "possible arm injury."

Main Street was temporarily closed off at Gerrard Street while police investigated.

First on-scene traumatic news story. 12-year old girl hit by SUV at Norwood and Gerrard. Girl has vital signs and was rushed to hospital. The driver remained at scene. There were several bystanders...story to follow @BeachMetroNews pic.twitter.com/PR8N3sQHx5

— Alana Rayman (@AlanaRayman) March 3, 2020

"I consistently see vehicles speeding through this crosswalk and can recall MANY times seeing families, children, and myself almost getting hit," wrote a local woman on Facebook who says she saw the girl get "hit and then run over" while using the crosswalk at Gerrard East and Norwood.

"A change must be made and the hope would be to have a traffic light installed here instead of a crosswalk."

The woman says that she had previously contacted Toronto Hydro to request that the crosswalk be looked into, and that she was familiar with others in the area who had initiated petitions related to the crosswalk.

Almost got hit crossing the crosswalk at Gerrard and Norwood Road. 4 cars sped thru as I was crossing. Fast. It was daylight but I was not wearing an armband. 🤷‍♀️ #safetytheatre @VisionZeroCA @JohnTory @BradMBradford @PasternakTO

— ElsieSisu (@sisuwoman) December 3, 2019

Even just a quick scroll through Twitter shows that the 12-year-old girl is far from the first to be hit while crossing this intersection, let alone to have a close encounter.

"My fiance was hit by a car at the intersection of Gerrard and Norwood around 7:45 this morning while walking in the crosswalk legally," wrote one Twitter user to the TTC's customer service account in September of 2018.

"Is there any footage that can be found from a 506 streetcar that was stopped at that crosswalk when my fiance was crossing/hit?"

Drivers raising hand as they fly thru x-walks in lieu of stopping / slowing down is an epidemic @TPSOperations Norwood&Gerrard ground zero

— Freedom56DoesNotSuck (@DavidLindores) December 14, 2016

"Hi @TorontoPolice," wrote another in March of 2015. "Crosswalk at Norwood/Gerrard is insane. I'm normally a potential witness to hit and run. Just now I was nearly hood ornament."

Beaches-East York councillor Brad Bradford is aware of the issue and says that it will be addressed. Eventually.

"Thankfully, the Main/Gerrard intersection is slated for a complete re-design as part of the longer term Vision Zero plan," he wrote this morning on Twitter in response to someone expressing concern over the most-recent pedestrian collision.

"I'll share updates on this re-construction as soon as I receive them."