Item - 2019.IE5.6

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, by deleting Section 950-400E (6) which provides that, where authorized signs to that effect are displayed, no person shall park any vehicle on any highway within a distance of up to 7.5 metres of any fire hall on the side of the highway on which the fire hall is located or within a distance of up to 30.5 metres of such fire hall on the opposite side of the highway.

2. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, by inserting a new section B.2 in Section 950-400 to provide that, where authorized signs to that effect are displayed, no person shall stop any vehicle on any highway within a distance of up to 7.5 metres of any fire hall on the side of the highway on which the fire hall is located or within a distance of up to 30.5 metres of such fire hall on the opposite side of the highway.

3. City Council establish a penalty amount of $60.00 for the new stopping offences created by Recommendation 2 above and amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, generally as set out in Attachment 1 to the report (May 8, 2019) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

4.  City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, by deleting Section (5) from Section 903-6C.

This report seeks approval from City Council to amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, to convert the existing parking prohibition in effect within the vicinity of fire halls to "No Stopping Anytime" and to amend Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, to increase the existing no stopping penalty from $40.00 to $60.00.

In addition, this report seeks approval to amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, by removing the current prohibition (captured in Section (5) of § 903-6C) for persons with Accessible Parking Permits from parking within 7.5 metres of a fire hall on the same side of the road and within 30.5 metres on the opposite side of the road, as this provision would become redundant.

Currently, where authorized signs to that effect are displayed, motorists, including Accessible Parking Permit holders, are not permitted to park in the vicinity of fire halls.  However, "No Parking Anytime" allows motorists to stop while actively engaged in loading and unloading passengers and/or merchandise, which is not appropriate as it may impede fire vehicles' access to and from fire halls. Clear access to/from fire halls by emergency vehicles is an integral component of ensuring timely emergency response and is in the interest of public safety.

Converting the "No Parking Anytime" to a "No Stopping Anytime" regulation will improve sight lines, prevent parked vehicles from blocking fire vehicle access to fire halls and eliminate the confusion that some motorists with Accessible Parking Permits have, mistakenly believing that they are exempt from the signed parking prohibition near fire halls.