2-tier parking fees in Toronto worth considering: councillor

Item date: 
January 5, 2012
Link: 
City TV News
Item context: 

Targeting drivers who live outside the City of Toronto with extra fees is a non-starter and promotes geographic inequity. Therefore, Toronto council members supporting such a move should work with neighbouring municipalities to implement a regional parking framework -- preferably with assistance of Metrolinx and the province.

The suggestion of road tolls never fails to spark fierce debate in Toronto, but an idea floated by politicians in Saint John, N.B., may add another dimension to the debate over how to capitalize on busy roads to raise funds for public transit.

Saint John is currently struggling to cover costs and Coun. Donnie Snook’s suggestion of road tolls has been met with sharp criticism, as has been the case in the past in Toronto. But his other idea of implementing a two-tiered parking payment system for commuters is gaining some traction — Mayor Ivan Court said he’d support the idea.

So could the idea of charging commuters more to park than locals work here?

Coun. Ana Bailao, who sits on the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA), said the idea is worth considering. But she said the city would also have to ensure a parking fee hike for commuters wouldn’t drive business out of Toronto and cost the city jobs.

“I think it shows some maturity from politicians and the public that they’re having this discussion,” she told CityNews.

“I think it’s essential to have these discussions. We have infrastructure, particularly transit infrastructure, that is underfunded so having these fees going directly into transit … would be extremely beneficial.”

Bailao made no mention of any future motions on the issue.

“I’d like to look a little bit further into this and to have conversations about this as well because you don’t want to be solving one issue on one hand and creating another on the other.”

Bailao worries about the amount of office space and jobs Toronto is losing to the 905 area.

Under a current bylaw, the TPA can’t charge more than $3.50 an hour for on-street parking — so why not charge everyone more considering private companies charge higher rates?

“It’s a discussion that’s starting to happen,” she said.

She said there are many instances, especially in the downtown core, where there are great discrepancies between rates charged by private companies and those charged in city-run Green P lots.

“Toronto is still one of the cheapest major metropolises to park in North America,” Bailao said.