Item - 2022.IE28.8

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request that the General Manager, Transportation Services, to include in the development of the Parking Strategy a review of the impact to City revenues when on-street parking spaces are displaced due to other uses, and to include a proposed approach to maximizing those revenues post-COVID recovery.

This report proposes a framework to develop a city-wide Parking Strategy for Toronto. At its core, the Parking Strategy will seek to continue the work of positioning Toronto as a world class city, with an integrated transportation network that can sustain the significant growth our city will experience over the next few decades, while concurrently striving to meet our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets as established by TransformTO.

The advancement of this Parking Strategy is a collective effort between several City partners that have mandates requiring innovation related to Toronto's parking systems and infrastructure. Managing parking effectively is an essential element to succeed in executing major city building objectives including achieving our climate change, housing affordability and traffic congestion management goals. Parking also has a critical role to play in supporting the City's vibrancy and commitment to the growth and commercial viability of key industries and businesses.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting period of disruption has presented the City with an exciting opportunity to determine the optimal size, programming and governance of our parking network. The advent of widespread curb lane cafés through the CaféTO program, the sudden and sustained growth of deliveries and curbside pick-ups of online orders and new requirements for the safe and efficient pick-up and drop-off of people and goods have all increased the pressure on available curb space.  This has also revealed a refreshed public enthusiasm for a balance of uses in the curbside area and changing perspectives on how our streets and public spaces should function.

This unique opportunity will build on a number of existing Council-approved policies and will include a significant focus on data related to Toronto's parking supply and infrastructure, along with an innovative stakeholder engagement experience including support for local business needs. A number of activities are outlined in this report that will occur through 2022 towards the creation of a Parking Strategy that will be presented to City Council in the fourth quarter of 2023.