Item - 2023.IE7.7

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Directed the General Manager, Transportation Services, to report back in the first quarter of 2024, on how to facilitate and manage parking of cargo bicycles in portions of the public right way where personal automobiles are permitted to be parked.

In a significant portion of Ward 11 and other parts of downtown, many homes have neither driveways nor garages. Those who have motor vehicles typically park them in the public right of way, usually with a city parking permit under Municipal Code 925. Automobiles with a parking permit are permitted to park at metered parking locations within their permitted area, without additional payment.

As part of TransformTO and Vision Zero, to improve air quality and reduce congestion, it is highly desirable that a growing number of households meet their transportation needs without a personal automobile. For many families, an electric-assist cargo bike could meet most transportation needs at a fraction of the cost of an automobile, if they had a place to park the cargo bike.

A cargo bike occupies much less space than an automobile. Nevertheless, in many areas of Ward 11, the only practical parking location for a cargo bike is on the public right of way. Under Municipal Code 925, the city issues free right of way parking permits to motorcycles. However, all bicycles are excluded from such permits, because they do not bear a unique, legally required licence plate. The city has repeatedly decided not to require bicycles to bear a licence.

This obstacle is preventing a number of my constituents from purchasing cargo bicycles.

Amendments to Municipal Code 925 that could resolve this conundrum include at least the following:

1. Permitting cargo bikes to park in the same places on the public right of way where a private automobile may park, as if they had a parking permit, without requiring them to purchase a permit; or

2. Permitting owners of cargo bikes to voluntarily apply for and display a unique licence plate, and allowing those who do so to purchase a parking permit.

This motion will direct staff to recommend the best available option.