Item - 2020.PA18.2

The Board of Directors of Toronto Parking Authority:

1.  Referred the report (October 20, 2020) from the Acting President, Toronto Parking Authority to City Council for consideration through the Budget Committee.

2.  Recommended that City Council increase the penalty amount from $30.00 to $75.00 for the offences in Sections 950-601C(1), 950-601C(2), 950-601C(3), 950-601F(1), 950-601G(1), 950-601G(2) and 950-601O of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, with an implementation date of June 1, 2021.

3.  Recommended that City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, generally as set out in Attachment 2 to the report (October 20, 2020) from the Acting President, Toronto Parking Authority.

This report provides additional information regarding an increase to the off-street parking administrative penalty amounts for the 2021 Operating Budget.

Within its inventory of more than 300 off-street parking facilities, Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) has removed the daily maximum rate at 32 high demand locations. This rate structure encourages the turnover of parking, which is consistent with TPA's mandate to provide short-stay high turnover parking.

Out of the 32 carparks where the daily maximum rate has been removed, there are 17 car parks where the $30.00 penalty amount is less than the cost to park for an eight (8)-hour period. The discrepancy between the parking rates at these 17 locations and the penalty amount has raised concern that customers are electing to park without paying for parking as the risk and cost of receiving a Parking Violation Notice (PVN) is less than the cost of parking for a full day.

To verify the extent of the compliance issues, TPA undertook surveys and found that, on average, only 64percent of vehicles were paying for parking. The full survey details can be found in Attachment 1.

As a result of the observed compliance issues, TPA is recommending an amendment to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, to increase the penalty amount from $30.00 to $75.00 for vehicles parked at municipal parking facilities in violation of Sections 950-601C(1), 950-601C(2), 950-601C(3), 950-601F(1), 950-601G(1), 950-601G(2) and 950-601O of Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking.

The increased penalties are intended to promote compliance.