Motorcycle Parking Fees Recommended without Notice or Public Consultation | Page 20 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Motorcycle Parking Fees Recommended without Notice or Public Consultation

Forum Sponsor
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

I have already emailled my councillor but I will email the two ladies now. Them delaying this parking issue is helping us fight back thankfully.


Face said:
E-mail both Sandra and Candy. The Clerks office keeps the formal record and sends out the notifications.

If one of the Councillors on this list is your Councillor, e-mail him, tell him your a resident of his ward. Ask that when it comes to Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, that he vote to send the report back to staff and direct them to hold meaningful consultation with riders like us who are most affected.
Click to expand...
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

The Scandinavian countries all have special considerations for motorcycles. My personal experience when living abroad in Norway was the Oslo City Council allowing motorcycles free access through toll booths, use of HOV-lanes at all times and free parking. This policy has been in effect in Norway since about 1994 and is now a strategic element in the National Transportation Plan. Below is a link to an interesting section in the Government's National Transportation Plan for Norway 2010-2019 regarding the special considerations for motorcycles:

http://www.stortinget.no/no/Saker-o...get/2008-2009/inns-200809-300/?lvl=0#a1.2.2.5

What is noteworthy is the references to the positive environmental effects offered by the use of motorcycles over cars, the increased dependance upon motorcycles as personal transport for larger parts of the population, the dangers presented by mixing traffic types (cars and motorcycles) should slant the laws in favour of the motorcyclist for safety reasons, the economical benefits for the allowance of free toll access, etc.

This official government document (and possibly others like it for other Scandinavian countries) should be referenced in any argument presented to the City Council to help them understand that there are valid reasons for continuing to allow free motorcycle parking in Toronto.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

robmack said:
The Scandinavian countries all have special considerations for motorcycles. My personal experience when living abroad in Norway was the Oslo City Council allowing motorcycles free access through toll booths, use of HOV-lanes at all times and free parking. This policy has been in effect in Norway since about 1994 and is now a strategic element in the National Transportation Plan. Below is a link to an interesting section in the Government's National Transportation Plan for Norway 2010-2019 regarding the special considerations for motorcycles:

http://www.stortinget.no/no/Saker-o...get/2008-2009/inns-200809-300/?lvl=0#a1.2.2.5

What is noteworthy is the references to the positive environmental effects offered by the use of motorcycles over cars, the increased dependance upon motorcycles as personal transport for larger parts of the population, the dangers presented by mixing traffic types (cars and motorcycles) should slant the laws in favour of the motorcyclist for safety reasons, the economical benefits for the allowance of free toll access, etc.

This official government document (and possibly others like it for other Scandinavian countries) should be referenced in any argument presented to the City Council to help them understand that there are valid reasons for continuing to allow free motorcycle parking in Toronto.
Click to expand...

Please inform Toronto of this such that they may take motorcycling into special consideration in those ways, too. In 22,000 km of riding through America, I can tell you that HOV lanes are free-access nation-wide -- yes, throughout the WHOLE COUNTRY -- and it's quite literally amazing how useful this is. California, as we know, allows for lane-splitting at all times, and this is also amazing. I can testify to this first-hand in open city proceedings, if necessary. I'm willing to mobilize whenever called upon.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

While we're at it, maybe we should suggest that it should be illegal to park a car in motorcycle parking spots (if it's not already so) and enforce it. I took this today at Dixie Outlet Mall:

http://i.imgur.com/wSkjG.jpg

It wasn't even that crowded, there were lots of regular parking spots available. With one person parking a car in an area where two people can park their bikes this discourages people even further from riding motorcycles which makes matters even worse in terms of the environmental effects and traffic congestion.
 

Attachments

  • 03032012005.jpg
    03032012005.jpg
    96.4 KB · Views: 36
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

That's private property. Road rules don't apply there. In fact, you are free to run stop signs and red lights and disobey all traffic signs on private property to your heart's content.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

So what happens if someone steals your paid parking paper and puts it on their car? Wasn't that the purpose of the free parking for motorbikes?
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

danarchy said:
It wasn't even that crowded, there were lots of regular parking spots available. With one person parking a car in an area where two people can park their bikes this discourages people even further from riding motorcycles which makes matters even worse in terms of the environmental effects and traffic congestion.
Click to expand...

So how many motorcyclists were inconvenienced today? I'm guessing zero.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

RetroGrouch said:
So how many motorcyclists were inconvenienced today? I'm guessing zero.
Click to expand...

Alright, so why don't you also start parking in the spots reserved for handicapped and expectant mothers when you don't see too many of them around?
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

danarchy said:
Alright, so why don't you also start parking in the spots reserved for handicapped and expectant mothers when you don't see too many of them around?
Click to expand...

Because motorcycles aren't commonly used during the winter months and I have no issues with cars using the space. Logic is your friend.
 
Last edited:
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

RetroGrouch said:
Because motorcycles aren't commonly used during the winter months and I have no issues with cars using the space. Common sense is your friend.
Click to expand...

....that didn't answer the question at all. Sounds like you need to reacquaint yourself with your old friend common sense and maybe even reading and comprehension.

To be honest, none of this affects me since I won't be riding around the city anyway, I'm just trying to be helpful. If you're gonna start throwing insults then suit yourself, have fun finding a parking spot and paying for it this spring..
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

Equating motorcycle parking spots in malls with handicapped and pregnant mothers' spots is not logical.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

danarchy said:
While we're at it, maybe we should suggest that it should be illegal to park a car in motorcycle parking spots (if it's not already so) and enforce it. I took this today at Dixie Outlet Mall:

http://i.imgur.com/wSkjG.jpg

It wasn't even that crowded, there were lots of regular parking spots available. With one person parking a car in an area where two people can park their bikes this discourages people even further from riding motorcycles which makes matters even worse in terms of the environmental effects and traffic congestion.
Click to expand...

To me that does not look like a parking area. Are there signs posted that state this area is for motorcycle parking? Usually a hatched out zone painted in this fashion designates that it is to be kept clear and no vehicles of any kind should be parked there.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

danarchy said:
....that didn't answer the question at all. Sounds like you need to reacquaint yourself with your old friend common sense and maybe even reading and comprehension.

To be honest, none of this affects me since I won't be riding around the city anyway, I'm just trying to be helpful. If you're gonna start throwing insults then suit yourself, have fun finding a parking spot and paying for it this spring..
Click to expand...

As Malks stated, based upon the hatch marks, that looks like no parking rather than motorcycle parking.
Was there a specific sign that says motorcycle parking?

The city won't save any money by doing this. More people abusing handicap stickers will fill the gap.
I wish they'd go after them. My mother-in-law was wheelchair bound, so when someone would pull in behind my bike and then walk 6 blocks to work, so that they'd save the $1400+ per year for parking it bugged me.
They could round up dozens of these people by having a volunteer sit and take photos in the morning and afternoon. Around Metro Hall is a prime location. I'm sure that there are some other "hot" spots.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

Yup, looks like a no parking zone / fire route, to me. The solid lines across the base of the 'spots' indicates that it's not a parking area.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

I didn't look around for any signs but if that's the case it's strange that there's vehicles of any kind on there. Anyway, if it isn't a parking area then never mind, it's my bad.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

robmack said:
The Scandinavian countries all have special considerations for motorcycles. My personal experience when living abroad in Norway was the Oslo City Council allowing motorcycles free access through toll booths, use of HOV-lanes at all times and free parking. This policy has been in effect in Norway since about 1994 and is now a strategic element in the National Transportation Plan. Below is a link to an interesting section in the Government's National Transportation Plan for Norway 2010-2019 regarding the special considerations for motorcycles:

http://www.stortinget.no/no/Saker-o...get/2008-2009/inns-200809-300/?lvl=0#a1.2.2.5

What is noteworthy is the references to the positive environmental effects offered by the use of motorcycles over cars, the increased dependance upon motorcycles as personal transport for larger parts of the population, the dangers presented by mixing traffic types (cars and motorcycles) should slant the laws in favour of the motorcyclist for safety reasons, the economical benefits for the allowance of free toll access, etc.

This official government document (and possibly others like it for other Scandinavian countries) should be referenced in any argument presented to the City Council to help them understand that there are valid reasons for continuing to allow free motorcycle parking in Toronto.
Click to expand...

Rob

Could you PM me or post this with the link in English? When I go to the link, then go up to "English" at the top, it takes me to another part of the site.

I'd like to send this to the City staff working on this. Her e-mail said that they were looking at how other Cities were handling this, so any positive references would be most helpful. The document appears to be fairly long. It would also help if we could highlight the specific bits related to parking. As staff didn't ask for this, I expect they don't want to do any more than they have to.

Thanks,
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

It may have been discussed somewhere in the previous 20 pages, but I don't have the time to look for it.

Since I don't live in the city, what can I do to help persuade councilors to keep the free motorcycle parking?
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

EngineerJoe said:
It may have been discussed somewhere in the previous 20 pages, but I don't have the time to look for it.

Since I don't live in the city, what can I do to help persuade councilors to keep the free motorcycle parking?
Click to expand...

Convince people who live in Toronto to give a damn, because Council hates us "damned 905ers" and won't listen to us.
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

Tell city council that "damned 905ers" come and spend money in Toronto. They do like money don't they? I can't seem to remember...
 
Re: City council voting on getting rid of free parking for motorcycles today

viper84737 said:
Tell city council that "damned 905ers" come and spend money in Toronto. They do like money don't they? I can't seem to remember...
Click to expand...

They don't seem to get that, which is why the concept of road tolls constantly comes up.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom