Motorcycle Parking Fee 2015 – Response Coordination Thread | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Motorcycle Parking Fee 2015 – Response Coordination Thread

Forum Sponsor
Who are the motorbike friendly Councillors? Reaching out to them as early as possible can only help. If we find someone who will use the issue as a soap box of how the City is making bad choices that increase congestion and pollution, for insignificant gain, it could help.
 
I had some confusion regarding free parking this spring, and from what I was able to find, it was very hard to figure out if free parking was only available and limited to the Pilot locations. I jumped the gun and emailed as many councillors as I could regarding my disappointment with removing pay-less parking until proper systems are in place. I was corrected by Councillor Joe Cressy and Arlin from 311 on the current standings. Legal parking spots are still pay-less for scooters and motorcycles, while the pilot project is looking for our compliance in those locations.

Information is here : http://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/02/101000052402.html

Pilot Project info here: http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/c...nnel=e10086195a7c1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

I can keep you guys updated on any other responses I get.

Cheers
 
Yes, motorcycle parking is still free throughout the City, but staff announced that this would change in 2015, in an October 2014 interview on City TV. We just have to be ready when they bring forward a report and by-law. Making Councillors aware of our concerns in advance is part of that strategy.
 
iegod said:
Interesting. Sometimes cars park in those zones though, so our voluntary compliance isn't necessarily within our entire control.
Click to expand...

Was walking by one of the places that is for "motorcycle and scooter" at Armoury and Centre (https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6539853,-79.3867334,17z?hl=en) and it had 2 cars parked there. Further up the street was a scooter parked in between 2 cars.

My personal issue I have are the wankers who park all day with handicap stickers. A lot of them park in courier zones etc. and they dont get ticketed. As far as I am aware, they need to pay for parking too, but most dont as they know they just show the handicap sticker and the ticket gets voided.. so the meter maids dont write them tickets.. There are a TON around downtown and these are the people who the city should be ticketing .
 
Good thing I recently moved within walking/cycling distance of work. However if I hadn't, my other vehicle is a 20' pickup truck which is much more comfortable to commute in.
 
Nothing on the April 9th Committee agenda. Next meeting, May 13th.
 
What if each bike owner living in Toronto could be subject to a levy, say $10-$20, to be paid directly to the city, in exchange for continued parking exemptions. The justification could be:
- as it is a nominal fee, it will not discourage people from using bikes instead of cars
- it would probably bring in more revenue than bikers paying parking alone
- it's not really a "tax", by advocating for such a levy, we are essentially indirectly paying for parking
- it solves the problem of different parking fees for type of vehicle (I.e. We shouldn't pay as much as car spots because we take up less space on th street)
- one levy per bike owner, not per bike, as you can only drive one bike at a time!

Possible issues and responses to this proposal:
Q: this will be a nightmare to administer, how would it be done feasibly?
A: thru the city of toronto act, the city has the power to levy specific taxes. An agreement similar to the toronto personal vehicle tax could be struck with the province to either a) collect it at plate renewal or b) disclose owner information so the city could administer it themselves. Plate renewals would be denied the following year if people didn't pay the levy.

Q: why should bikes get this treatment and not cars? They could pay a levy and get free parking too.
A: in recognition of the low amount of motorcycles and the reduction in congestion they represent over cars.

Q: lots of people drive in from the burbs, why not charge them too?
A: the city of toronto is exercising its right to collect fees in its own jurisdiction thru the levy under the act. The act does not apply outside of the city's borders. Other municipalities are free to institute their own system of collection for bike parking if the act responsible for their incorporation allows it.

Q: how does this benefit the city of Toronto?
A: by reducing congestion and bringing in revenue.
 
marktwothousand said:
What if each bike owner living in Toronto could be subject to a levy, say $10-$20, to be paid directly to the city, in exchange for continued parking exemptions.
.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea. It could be a fee that gets tacked on when you renew your plate sticker. I'd rather pay that!
 
kiwi said:
...
My personal issue I have are the wankers who park all day with handicap stickers. A lot of them park in courier zones etc. and they dont get ticketed. As far as I am aware, they need to pay for parking too, but most dont as they know they just show the handicap sticker and the ticket gets voided.. so the meter maids dont write them tickets.. There are a TON around downtown and these are the people who the city should be ticketing .
Click to expand...

The wanker driving a white Mercedes B200, parking (for free) in the street pay&display on Albert St, is a co-worker of mine. He did his military service, now walks around on metal legs (I haven't asked him yet how that happened). Please give this dude a break...
 
kiwi said:
My personal issue I have are the wankers who park all day with handicap stickers. A lot of them park in courier zones etc. and they dont get ticketed. As far as I am aware, they need to pay for parking too, but most dont as they know they just show the handicap sticker and the ticket gets voided.. so the meter maids dont write them tickets.. There are a TON around downtown and these are the people who the city should be ticketing .
Click to expand...

Toronto bylaws specifically exempt handicap permit holders from some parking regulations, including limits on parking duration and the need to feed meters for on-street parking. As long as the permit is being used by a legitimate permit holder, I don't see any need for those lucky people without mobility issues to get their noses out of joint. Or perhaps you would like to trade personal situations with one of those permit holders?
 
marktwothousand said:
What if each bike owner living in Toronto could be subject to a levy, say $10-$20, to be paid directly to the city, in exchange for continued parking exemptions.
Click to expand...

Nice idea, but you're asking bureaucrats to think outside their silos. This would require the City to set up a separate process to identify and charge riders, or to work in cooperation with the Province to charge through plate registration. Staff are just looking for the easiest way to maximize revenues without extra work or concerns about fairness (proportional charging across the City).

If the City & Province could actually work together, we'd have a zone system for transit fares where you could ride any vehicle run by any operator within the City for the price of a Metropass. Just think about it. Connecting Main GO & TTC stations could allow the GO Lakeshore line act as the eastern relief line to Union. Both the GO Brampton Line and the Union Pearson Express could act as the western relief line from Dundas W TTC station, and the Richmond Hill line could relieve the Yonge subway with 1 stop from Leslie station on the Sheppard line to Union. So instead of saving billions in capital expenses that duplicate services, they implement additional charges ($60/month to ride 1 stop from Liberty Village to Union) in a meager attempt to imply cooperation, which no one (ok, 134 people) are prepared to pay extra to use.

Sorry, rant over! It's just that logical thinking only works in this City if it falls in line with political agendas.
 
Face said:
Nice idea, but you're asking bureaucrats to think outside their silos. This would require the City to set up a separate process to identify and charge riders, or to work in cooperation with the Province to charge through plate registration. Staff are just looking for the easiest way to maximize revenues without extra work or concerns about fairness (proportional charging across the City).

If the City & Province could actually work together, we'd have a zone system for transit fares where you could ride any vehicle run by any operator within the City for the price of a Metropass. Just think about it. Connecting Main GO & TTC stations could allow the GO Lakeshore line act as the eastern relief line to Union. Both the GO Brampton Line and the Union Pearson Express could act as the western relief line from Dundas W TTC station, and the Richmond Hill line could relieve the Yonge subway with 1 stop from Leslie station on the Sheppard line to Union. So instead of saving billions in capital expenses that duplicate services, they implement additional charges ($60/month to ride 1 stop from Liberty Village to Union) in a meager attempt to imply cooperation, which no one (ok, 134 people) are prepared to pay extra to use.

Sorry, rant over! It's just that logical thinking only works in this City if it falls in line with political agendas.
Click to expand...
If only we lived in a democracy
 
griff2 said:
Toronto bylaws specifically exempt handicap permit holders from some parking regulations, including limits on parking duration and the need to feed meters for on-street parking. As long as the permit is being used by a legitimate permit holder, I don't see any need for those lucky people without mobility issues to get their noses out of joint. Or perhaps you would like to trade personal situations with one of those permit holders?
Click to expand...

I wasnt aware about the no limit on duration of parking. I thought they had to play by the rules to some degree.
 
Does anyone know if this made it in the city's meeting agenda yet? Maybe it can be pushed to the end of the summer at least to give us "officially" one more season.
 
marktwothousand said:
Does anyone know if this made it in the city's meeting agenda yet? Maybe it can be pushed to the end of the summer at least to give us "officially" one more season.
Click to expand...
From what i understand, we wont know until "a few days prior" to the meeting.
 
LePhillou said:
From what i understand, we wont know until "a few days prior" to the meeting.
Click to expand...

This is correct. I'm monitoring the agendas, and will sound the alarm when it comes up. Others should keep their eyes open for news items, etc.
 
Is it just me or are more bikes being parked on downtown streets than ever before? Perhaps it is because some of the parking spots have been taken away by bike lanes in the past year and there's just less space to park overall?

every day on my way to work I see tonnes of bikes (and scooters) parked outside office bldgs, and every day there seem to be more of them. I don't recall seeing that many bikes before.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom