Motorcycle Parking Fees Recommended without Notice or Public Consultation

[Rob MacLennan]

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

Ah crap I used his mayor email. I'm probably going to get his secretary.

He claims to read all of his email and respond to all his phone calls.

 

[CruisnGrrl]

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

He claims to read all of his email and respond to all his phone calls.

he also claimed to not be drunk, not be at a hockey game and to be frightened by a comedian in a ridiculous dress with a plastic sword... well I suppose the guy could be a coward so I'll give him the last one.

 

[Griffin]

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

He claims to read all of his email and respond to all his phone calls.

He also said he was gonna trim all the gravy from the budget without affecting any services. Just sayin'...

I wonder how many of the GTAM community voted for these people? I find people are generally all for cost savings and cuts and fiscal responsibiltiy and cutting the gravy, until they find it out means it will affect them. I remember a lot of union workers voted for Mike Harris and were amazed that his Common Sense Revolution actually meant he was going after their jobs. They always thought the fat, lazy union bastards he was ranting about was some other union than the one to which they belonged. Heh.

 

[ABadjusterrider_5]

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

Email sent. Hopefully they see the light......

I'm all up for demonstrations should this appeal fail.

 

[TIBURON]

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

http://www.chicagoabate.com/MotorcycleScooterBrochure.pdf


this is whats going to happen here, the display receipt will be a sticker. it really sucks!! and now you will have to carry a pen to write your licence plate number on the sticker!

 

[kiwi]

Re: We might lose free parking in Toronto

I'm in with "Face" with this. Spread the word.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

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

Prior to becoming the mayor, he actually did read his own email and respond to his own phone calls. Seems that he's been doing pretty well in that area since then, too. It's worth a try at least, isn't it? The alternative is pretty much to do nothing.

 

[AdRath]

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

I find people are generally all for cost savings and cuts and fiscal responsibiltiy and cutting the gravy, until they find it out means it will affect them.

Anyone who looked at the numbers knew what he said he would do wasn't possible. You can't nickle and dime savings while cutting millions in revenue streams for the city. I laughed when he said he wouldn't raise property taxes. Everyone knows it has to happen.

 

[Starchild]

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

Here's what I sent to my councillor. Feel free to edit it as you see fit.

Dear {councillor},

We, scooter and motorcycle riders of the Greater Toronto Area, have assembled a list of reasons why you should vote AGAINST Fees for Motorcycle Parking

• It is impossible to safely and securely display a paid receipt. Even if the receipt portion is detached, we still have to to fight the ticket, taking up the valuable time of not only ourselves, but that of a civic employee.
• Scooters and motorcycles take up much less space than cars. To be fair, if we should be charged, we should be charged less than cars; however, financially, there is no way implement a system that will distinguish parking tickets for scooters/motorcycles and cars.
• If this is passed, we will arrange a SILENT PROTEST, during which scooters/motorcycles will not park tightly spaced, parking five scooters/motorcycles in the space required for one car, but loosely spaced, during which one scooter/motorcycle will occupy the space of one car.

Finally, given our overly congested streets and highways, rising fuel costs, and the threat of global climate change, the use of scooters and motorcycles should be encouraged.

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,
{Name}
{Address}

 

[Rob MacLennan]

Re: We might lose free parking in Toronto

This issue isn't over yet. The recommendation before Council as the following:

"Councillor Mike Del Grande, seconded by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to report to the February, 2012 meeting of City Council, through the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on options for the implementation and enforcement of parking charges and fees regarding motorcycles and motor scooters to harmonize them with parking for other motorized vehicles.

2. In preparing the report, the General Manager review the City's pay-and-display areas as well as the number of parking permits currently being exempted to determine the financial impact of the recommended changes to pay parking."

I'll keep an eye on the City web site to see if these recommendations pass, and post the results. If they do, we have 2 directions to pursue, and I suggest we do both:

1. Meet with Transportation Services staff to encourage them to report on all aspects of the issue. I'm happy to organize that. Sounds like EatsleepRIDE has a good handle on this and should join me. I would also like to hear from any lawyers out there who know about issues related to prosecution against motorcycles without pay & display tickets, burden of proof, costs associated with prosecution, etc. Please PM me if you can help. Hopefully we can get staff to look at all the costs, not just the potential lost revenue referred to in recommendation #2. It also helps that staff are aware that this is a publicly sensitive issue. With any luck we can get staff to recommend against changing the by-law to charge motorcycles.

2. Continue the political lobbying. Everyone should e-mail your Councillor, but we should focus on the members of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee who will then have to make their recommendation to Council. They are Mark Grimes, Mike Layton, Denzil Minnan-Wong, John Parker, Gord Perks & David Shiner. You can see who your Councillor is, and e-mail them through the following link:

http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp

We should also organize as many people as we can to attend the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee when they hear this matter in February. Committee meetings are open to public deputations, Council meetings aren't. This is the time to speak up in person.

It's not too late! There is a lot more we can do to fight this! Let's keep the pressure on! Remember, this is just a last minute motion from 2 Councillors looking to pinch a few pennys. If we can show that the costs out weigh the benefits, and that this could become a bigger political problem, then we have a reasonable chance of success.

Don't forget the section, of that recommendation, that specifies skipping Start and going directly to jail, if they get more than a 2/3 majority vote in favour.

 

[invictus43]

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

Anyone who looked at the numbers knew what he said he would do wasn't possible. You can't nickle and dime savings while cutting millions in revenue streams for the city. I laughed when he said he wouldn't raise property taxes. Everyone knows it has to happen.

Yup. And really, to look at it from the other side, motorcycles are a pretty small, marginal group. If you're looking for some money, that's not a bad way to go. It's fairly easy to justify in the way del Grande attempted to do. None of the decisions to cut spending or find money is easy..which are least-hard??

 

[RetroGrouch]

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

Motorcycle parking fee exemption is gravy. It was a nice gesture by the city but they didn't have to do it 5 years ago. Before the paper receipt machines were widely used, we still had to pay for parking with the coin meters and no one complained about paying for parking. Hey, I've saved hundreds of dollars for the past 5 years, that's not bad in my books. Sure I wish it would continue but if council votes it gone, so be it.

 

[Jayv]

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

The Downtown core needs to be pro friendly towards the scooters,e-bike's and motorcycles.

Ever seen the line of bikes parked just east of union station of front street? The free parking promotes two wheels, more bike less cars, less traffic congestion. more parking spots.

Every car that is parked in favour of two wheels being used to commute to work is a win win situation.

 

[TIBURON]

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

Here's what I sent to my councillor. Feel free to edit it as you see fit.

thanks Im just going to send the same email to my counsillor

 

[invictus43]

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

The Downtown core needs to be pro friendly towards the scooters,e-bike's and motorcycles.

Ever seen the line of bikes parked just east of union station of front street? The free parking promotes two wheels, more bike less cars, less traffic congestion. more parking spots.

Every car that is parked in favour of two wheels being used to commute to work is a win win situation.

That's true..but there are a lot of car people who don't really give a crap and they won't cry over this.

 

[rafiki911]

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

lmao I love how everyone loved the mayer before this. Jokes.

 

[Hal Incandenza]

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

With all due respect, a fee exemption for motorcycle parking would be gravy if congestion and transportation alternatives in this city had actually been dealt with properly. If you compare Toronto's transit system with other major cities of comparable size, almost anywhere in the world, it's a joke. Toronto mayors have been promising improved transit for literally decades. Until they actually produce alternative and efficient ways for people to move around this city, the last thing they should be doing is encouraging more car congestion.

Motorcycle parking fee exemption is gravy. It was a nice gesture by the city but they didn't have to do it 5 years ago. Before the paper receipt machines were widely used, we still had to pay for parking with the coin meters and no one complained about paying for parking. Hey, I've saved hundreds of dollars for the past 5 years, that's not bad in my books. Sure I wish it would continue but if council votes it gone, so be it.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

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

Motorcycle parking fee exemption is gravy. It was a nice gesture by the city but they didn't have to do it 5 years ago. Before the paper receipt machines were widely used, we still had to pay for parking with the coin meters and no one complained about paying for parking. Hey, I've saved hundreds of dollars for the past 5 years, that's not bad in my books. Sure I wish it would continue but if council votes it gone, so be it.

And if you give up on it, then it's gone. Isn't it worth a couple of minutes of your time, to try and save hundreds of dollars?

 

[RetroGrouch]

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

Doesn't affect how I feel about Ford. I ride a motorcycle, big friggin' deal. Free bike parking was a fantastic perk but not a necessity or a right. Not trying to play the devil's advocate. As the number of parked bikes increased, so did the number of bikes that were knocked down by cars. Toronto is not a European city and it never will be.

 

[AdRath]

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

Yup. And really, to look at it from the other side, motorcycles are a pretty small, marginal group. If you're looking for some money, that's not a bad way to go. It's fairly easy to justify in the way del Grande attempted to do. None of the decisions to cut spending or find money is easy..which are least-hard??

Its also a very very short sighted move (much like most of the gravy cuts). It will only add to the congestion as free parking is one of the main reasons many people I know commute on scooters and motorcycles rather than just pleasure ride on the weekend or evenings. Without incentives people will just as willingly take their car and the last thing we need is more single occupant cars on the road. It is a step backward in my opinion.

As many have stated if they charge for a complete space and that is councils attitude that a space is a space then people will take their full space. Just think of all the bikes and scooters parking at least 2 yards apart. I know the city would lose out on a ton of car revenue in that case. I understand their thought process but like in the occupy Toronto thread it is more of the race to the bottom.

You will never get out of debt or cover monthly expenses by cutting out a cup of coffee a day. It really is a drop in the bucket and not a large one. I wish council would spend their time debating bigger ideas rather than the patting on the back for saving a penny. I personally didn't mind the plate fee as it was a solid revenue stream for the city that has yet to be replaced despite rising budget costs and massive shortfalls next year.

Not to mention with the stagnation of viable transit plans and the canceling of one that had already secured funding it will be even longer before our transit system gets up to even what it should have been 2 decades ago. I predict more and more gridlock.

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