HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-09-070 - On-Street Parking - Orchard Mill CresJ
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REPORT T0: Development & Technical Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: May 11, 2009
SUBMITTED BY: John McBride, Director of Transportation Planning
PREPARED BY: Cameron Bevers, Traffic Technician (741-2369)
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Fairview-Gateway
DATE OF REPORT: April 20, 2009
REPORT NO.: DTS-09-070
SUBJECT: ON-STREET PARKING -ORCHARD MILL CRESCENT
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the existing No Parking Anytime Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. area on both
sides of Orchard Mill Crescent be amended to No Parking Anytime Monday to Friday 8:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and further,
That the Uniform Traffic By-law be amended accordingly.
BACKGROUND:
Transportation Planning recently received a petition signed by 11 residents of Orchard Mill
Crescent. Those that signed the petition felt that the existing on-street parking regulations on
Orchard Mill Crescent were too restrictive, and requested that Transportation Planning review
the existing regulations in order to improve parking availability for guests. Currently, parking is
prohibited on both sides of Orchard Mill Crescent from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Parking is permitted for up to three (3) consecutive hours at all other times, as outlined in the
City of Kitchener Uniform Traffic By-law #2007-138.
Parking on Orchard Mill Crescent is restricted on weekdays because of the street's proximity to
Conestoga College. The college charges students, faculty and staff a fee for parking on-
campusduring the day on weekdays. As a result, weekday parking regulations are required on
the streets adjacent to Conestoga College in order to discourage individuals who want to avoid
paying for parking on campus from parking on neighbourhood streets. At the present time,
Conestoga College charges a fee for campus parking up until 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, after
which time parking is free. Campus parking is also free on weekends.
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REPORT:
In order to address this request, Transportation Planning mailed a survey to each household on
Orchard Mill Crescent in March 2009, requesting feedback from residents on a proposal to
change the existing 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. weekday parking prohibition times to 8:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. only. This proposed parking prohibition time change reflects the fact that Conestoga College
offers free campus parking after 4:00 p.m. This change would allow on-street parking on weekday
evenings, when many residents host guests who may require the use of on-street parking spaces.
The majority of the residents responding to this survey were in favour of revising the hours to
allow weekday evening parking. Out of the 29 responses received, 16 households (or 55%) were
in favour of the proposal to change the weekday parking prohibition time to 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Some residents of Orchard Mill Crescent who have indicated their opposition to the proposal have
expressed concerns that the parking time limit change might encourage the introduction of
additional student accommodation within the existing single detached homes on the street.
Transportation Planning does not feel that this parking time limit change will have any bearing on
the amount of student accommodation offered on Orchard Mill Crescent, because the change that
is being suggested does not impact any other existing City-wide parking restrictions, such as the
3-hour maximum parking time limit. As a result, neither landlords nor their tenants will benefit
significantly from the change in parking prohibition times.
Some of the proponents of the parking regulation changes on Orchard Mill Crescent have also
requested that weekday statutory holidays be exempted from the parking prohibition. However,
Transportation Planning does not feel that this can be accommodated without creating confusion
for the public. There could be problems from a legal standpoint in terms of defining a statutory
holiday in the Uniform Traffic By-Law #2007-138, since some holidays fall on different calendar
dates each year (e.g. Good Friday and Victoria Day). There could also be confusion in terms of
which days actually constitute a statutory holiday, since some holidays that are commonly
observed are not actually statutory holidays (e.g. Civic Holiday and Easter Monday). Accordingly,
Transportation Planning does not recommend an exemption for statutory holidays on Orchard Mill
Crescent.
Furthermore, the Ontario Highway Traffic Act requires municipalities to clearly indicate any on-
street parking time or date restrictions on regulatory traffic signs in order for the regulations to be
legally enforceable by the police or by-law officers. It is not possible to have signs reading "No
parking, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, Statutory Holidays Excepted" on regulatory
traffic signs, while still maintaining the minimum text, numeral and symbol heights specified in the
Ontario Traffic Manual.
COMMUNICATIONS:
All residents of Orchard Mill Crescent have been notified in writing of the proposed parking
regulation changes. Residents have also been notified of the DTS meeting date.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The approximate cost for sign installation on the street will be $400. These funds will be
procured from the existing sign maintenance budget.
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CB
Attach.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, Interim General Manager
Development and Technical Services Department
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ORCHARD MILL CRESCENT
ON-STREET PARKING
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