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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-08-168 - Three Hour Parking Limit - ExemptionsREPORT Report To: Development and Technical Services Committee Date of Meeting: October 20, 2008 Submitted By: John McBride, Director, Transportation Planning Shayne Turner, Director of Enforcement Prepared By: Ken Carmichael, Supervisor of Traffic and Parking Shayne Turner, Director of Enforcement Wards} Involved: All Date of Report: October 10, 2008 Report No.: DTS 08-168 Subject: THREE (3) HOUR PARKING LIMIT -EXEMPTIONS RECOMMENDATIONS: That Council receive this report for information purposes, -and - That Council provide staff with direction regarding proceeding with a more comprehensive review of a process to address exemptions to the three (3} hour parking limit provision of the City of Kitchener Uniform Traffic By-law No 2007-138." BACKGROUND: At its meeting on September 29, 2008, the Development and Technical Services Committee directed staff to provide a report outlining the implications of allowing on-street parking on certain streets as has recently been done in Burlington. REPORT: Citv of Kitchener Three (3) Hour Parking Limit By-law The City of Kitchener's Uniform Traffic By-law No 2007-138 includes a parking regulation that limits parking on all City of Kitchener roadways to three (3) consecutive hours. This regulation was implemented in the mid 1980's, with this regulation being a five (5) hour limit beforehand. -2- The three (3) hour parking limit allows the City's Enforcement Division to control excessive long term parking on City roadways. Accordingly, long term parking on City roadways has a negative impact on: Roadway maintenance such as street sweeping and cleaning. Snow removal in winter months. Waste removal. While long term parking, depending on the amount of on-street parking generated and its characteristics, can potentially have a negative impact on: Emergency vehicle response. Safe on-street traffic operations. Access to/from private driveways. These negative impacts of long term parking can result in the following: Unsafe roadway conditions due to incomplete snow removal. Additional costs to Operations due to having to return to properly clear snow or provide street sweeping and/or cleaning. Residents' waste not being collected. An increase in emergency vehicle response time. Reduced safety related to roadway traffic and parking conditions. On-street parking is intended for short term visitor and customer related parking. Accordingly, this is supported by zoning regulations that require all developments and residential properties within the City to provide off-street parking to accommodate that development's parking needs. An exception to this is our Downtown where parking supply is dealt with on the whole, however, on-street parking is still intended only for customers of Downtown businesses. Existing Three (3) Hour Enforcement Approach The City of Kitchener By-law Division's approach with regard to the enforcement of our existing three (3) hour parking limit is that it is only enforced on a complaint basis. Staff feel that the provision is an effective tool to deal with parking issues when they arise. Below are some statistics with regard to enforcement activities over the past four (4) years. 2005 2006 2007 2008 (ytd) Complaints 1,478 1,171 1,617 1,580 received # of tickets 1, 865 2, 623 2, 805 1, 941 issued The number of complaints and resulting tickets issued indicated above is a clear indication that long term parking on City roadways is of concern to the public. -3- City of Burlington Neighbourhood On-Street Parking Program The City of Burlington has implemented a program in 2003, known as the "Neighbourhood On- Street Parking Program" (NOSSP). This program creates a mechanism whereby a group of residents can apply for an exemption to the three ~3) hour parking limit by-law in their neighbourhood. There are three (3) categories of exemptions that can be applied for: 1. An exemption that applies 24 hours per day, seven days a week; 2. Weekends only, from 6PM on Fridays to Sunday at 12:00 midnight; or 3. Overnight, from 1 AM to 6AM. The first step in the process is that a petition is circulated Eby the resident applicants} to all residents in the subject area. Provided there is a minimum of 75% support for the exemption request, the petition and application are scrutinized by City staff. Staff then will prepare a report and recommendation to their Council. If the application is approved, appropriate signing is posted. The initial capital cost of this signing is the responsibility of the area residents, while the City maintains responsibility for sign maintenance. It should be noted that certain issues can arise with this type of exemption, in that the residents in the subject area are not given exclusive use of the on street parking. In other words, the exempted area can be used by anyone from any area for the purposes of longer term parking. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Allowing unlimited long term parking on City of Kitchener roadways will result in negative impacts on roadway maintenance, waste collection, emergency vehicle response, along with safe traffic and parking conditions. These negative impacts will, undoubtedly, affect the financial considerations for items such as snow removal, street sweeping and cleaning and waste collection. However, until a more comprehensive review of this issue is conducted, these financial implications cannot be quantified at this time. CONCLUSION: The issues and implications of this type of program are too significant to allow staff to formulate concrete recommendations without a more thorough review, including engaging other Divisions and potentially the community at large. -4- Staff do not support the provision of permanent exemptions to the three (3) hour parking limit by-law. Concerns include the potential negative impacts to roadway maintenance and safety, accompanying financial implications, as well as the provision of a permanent exemption to a parking by-law that is effective in addressing the concerns generated by long term on-street parking. Additionally, the integrity of our existing three (3} hour parking limit by-law, and the associated enforcement of this by-law, will be compromised should exemptions be provided in selected locations on a permanent basis. However, if Council wishes further investigation, staff propose to do a more comprehensive review with regard to all the implications that such an approach will have on neighbourhoods and operations within the City. Ken Carmichael, C.E.T. Supervisor of Traffic and Parking Transportation Planning John McBride, Director Transportation Planning Shayne Turner, Director of Enforcement Enforcement Division KC