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TABIA supports the principal of a diverse transportation system, utilizing several modes of transportation. Parking and transportation within the city are linked activities. The City should work to make each form attractive, functional and accommodating for Toronto’s many neighbourhoods.
TABIA requests that the TTC allow the use of transfers for hopping off and back on buses, streetcars and subways while traveling within a 2 hour period of time.
· People who do not regularly use transit would do so for short trips. The cost of a monthly TTC pass is far too high to attract occasional users.
· Alternatively, several pricing packages should be available to meet individual needs.
TABIA requests utilizing the Toronto Parking Authority, and adopt its policy of using courtesy envelopes, for policing public street parking.
· Parking metering was originally established to create more parking by creating turnover in parking places. The workers at the shops were parking all day in the best spots. Short-term parking allowed more people to share the available spaces. Today pay and display parking is a revenue stream with an aggressive police force working to quotas. This manner of enforcement creates a negative impression for customers of businesses on public streets.
· Parking by residents on public streets, in permit areas, is far below value. An increase could offset any loss from courtesy envelopes.
· The Parking Authority should be encouraged in the creation of more off street parking in neighbourhood commercial areas.
TABIA requests a charge or tax on free parking spaces provided by shopping malls.
· Current trends in retail have created a car culture lured by “acres of Free Parking”. Free parking puts public shopping streets at a great disadvantage and erodes neighbourhood shopping. The use of land for retail malls and big box stores with free parking encourages automobile use. The free parking areas are considered undeveloped land and not taxed appropriately. The property tax paid by this form of retail development is far less than a typical neighbourhood retail street of the same size.
TABIA requests that incentives for high-efficiency, hybrid, fuel cell and electric automobiles be part of the transportation strategy within the City of Toronto.
TABIA requests that the use of handicapped parking permits should be more carefully issued and limited in time to a 1-hour period when used in No Parking areas of our public streets.
Report was to be given at 2008 TABIA
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2008 AGM Transportation Committee Report