Item MM14, Motion without Notice, Moved by Councillor Mike Del Grande and seconded by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam
Six years ago, the City of Toronto demonstrated real traffic safety and urban planning leadership by providing free street parking and other improvements for motorcycles and motorized scooters. But the City is about to take a step back if it continues with a proposal to enforce parking charges and fees for motorcycles and motorized scooters. Here are some reasons why free street parking for motorcycles and motorized scooters should continue:
• Motorcycles and motorized scooters use less space on the road, have significantly less impact on road infrastructure thus saving municipal dollars, require less parking space, consume less fuel, and produce less emissions;
• Motorcycles and motorized scooters are an affordable mode of transportation for many commuters where comparable transit options don’t exist or where cars are the only other viable transit option;
• Pay & Display tags and other parking receipts are easily lost or stolen from parked motorcycles and motorized scooters resulting in unwarranted fines, which puts an unnecessary burden on riders and increased costs for city officials and the municipal court system;
• City officials should also note that the program also complements the Ontario government’s tourism strategy to attract motorcyclists from border provinces and states.
WE, the undersigned call on Toronto City Council to oppose any measures that would implement and enforce parking charges and fees for motorcycles and motor scooters: