It sounds like new mayor John Tory and Midtown councillor Josh Matlow are on the same page regarding parking enforcement and its impact on traffic congestion. A new six-point plan should provide relief for weary midtown commuters used to being stuck behind delivery vehicles during rush hour.
The first of the six is a policy Midtown councillor Josh Matlow has been advocating for since 2011 — strict enforcement of “no stopping” regulations on major roads during peak traffic times.
Matlow has been advocating for a shift in priorities by parking enforcement officers, from ticketing residents who park out of the way on quiet residential side streets to vehicles, delivery trucks or developers that are obstructing traffic on major roads.
Last year, council approved a motion of Matlow’s requiring the chair of the Toronto Police Services Board to report on ways to reorient parking enforcement toward major routes.
Local business improvement associations have also voiced concerns over aggressive ticketing that dissuades area residents from shopping at local businesses. According to a past report in the Toronto Star, the top performing parking officers in the city operate in the Midtown area.
“Wherever you’ve got main streets and businesses, there will be delivery trucks and somebody thinking it’s OK to put their blinkers on and go into Starbucks or get their dry cleaning,” said Matlow. “There is something really wrong with that. It can’t just be one company or one individual getting their way at the expense of everybody else in the entire city. It’s not right.”
But according to John Tory, “There’s a new sheriff in town,” and he seems intent on making good on his “fighting gridlock initiative” campaign promises.
“Park in those places on the major routes, and you will be towed,” Tory said at a press conference. “If I have to chip in and drive the truck myself, those vehicles are going to be towed away.”
Tory’s six-point plan also includes establishing higher fees for the closures of lanes and boulevards by development projects and increasing the number of traffic signals, from 250 to 350, set to be retimed in 2015.
“There’s so much more to do,” said Matlow, “but the plan [John Tory] has brought forward is thoughtful, evidence-based and an incredibly necessary plan for a city that is dealing with horrible traffic congestion.”
