Item - 2024.IE18.2

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend Section 903-4 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, to insert the word "and" after Subsection B and to insert a new Subsection C as follows:

“C. in the vehicle displaying the permit in accordance with subsection 903-4A or 903-4B is a passenger vehicle or commercial vehicle that does not exceed 3,000 kilograms."

2. City Council delete Subsection (1) from Section 903–5 B of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, and insert a new Subsection (1) as follows:

“(1)     The exemptions set out in § 903-5A do not apply so as to permit any person to park or stand a vehicle with a permit displayed on any highway for a period exceeding 24 hours, except in a designated parking space on a highway licensed for overnight permit parking, a parking machine parking space or mobile only zone parking space, pursuant to the provisions of any by-law or municipal code of the City or a former municipality. For further clarity, in the event a person parks or stands a vehicle with a permit displayed on any highway for a period exceeding 24 hours, except as set out in the previous sentence, that person shall be liable to prosecution as if they had violated the restrictions or time limits in relation to parking or standing a vehicle as set out in the applicable by-law or municipal code section.”

3. City Council amend Section 910-9 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 910, Parking Machines, Parking Meters and Mobile Only Zones, by inserting a new Subsection F as follows:

“F.      Despite any other provision of the Municipal Code or any other City of Toronto By-law, a vehicle displaying an accessible permit and weighing more than 3,000 kilograms will not be exempt from the requirement to pay or deposit a fee and to use or activate the parking meter.”

4. City Council delete Subsection B from Section 950-405 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, and insert a new Subsection B as follows:

“B.      No parking a bus certain times.

Where official signs prohibiting parking are displayed, no person shall park a bus on any highway at the side and between the limits set out in Schedule XIII in § 950-1312 during the prohibited times and/or days set out in Schedule XIII.”

5. City Council delete Subsection P from Section 925-5 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 925, Permit Parking, and insert a new Subsection P as follows:

“P.      A person with an accessible parking permit issued by the Ministry of Transportation shall be exempted from this chapter provided the accessible permit is displayed on a vehicle which is under 3,000 kilograms in weight and not longer than 5.2 meters in length.”

6. City Council amend of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 925, Permit Parking, Section 925-5 N by inserting a new Subsection (6) as follows:

“(6)     A valid permit will be considered invalid if hooked or attached to a trailer or storage container or bin.”

7. City Council amend Schedule A of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties and Administration of, generally as set out in Attachment 1 to the report (November 13, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

8. City Council authorize that the amendments in Recommendations 1 to 7, inclusive, be implemented effective February 10, 2025.

9. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor or General Manager, Transportation Services, in order to give effect to Recommendations 1 to 8 inclusive.

This report responds to a request from City Council to examine the feasibility of updating the bylaws associated with the use of an Accessible Parking Permit to allow the enforcement of larger vehicles specifically classified as commercial or recreational using an accessible parking permit while parked on city streets. Currently, such vehicles are exempt from certain parking regulations by the City.

Under City of Toronto bylaws, any person with a valid Accessible Parking Permit, issued by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario, is exempt from certain parking regulations identified in various City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapters, which exemptions are outlined further in the report. Those include Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, Chapter 910, Parking Machines, Parking Meters and Mobile Only Zones, Chapter 925, Permit Parking, and Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking. Currently, the City of Toronto is the only municipality that provides the most parking regulation exemptions in the Greater Toronto Area to Accessible Parking Permit holders.

This report is seeking Council approval to not exempt large vehicles weighing more than 3,000 kilograms or vehicles that are longer than 5.2 metres in length (a parking spot is generally 5.5 metres in length). This restriction would align with the current permit parking program which places similar weight and vehicle length restrictions. To enforce these new provisions, amendments to the aforementioned Municipal Code Chapters are being recommended, including the introduction of new offences and penalty amounts for non-compliance with the new restrictions when using an Accessible Parking Permit. This will ensure vehicles displaying an Accessible Parking Permit is strictly for the purpose of transporting individuals with mobility challenges and not for the long-term storage of larger commercial and recreational vehicles on City streets.