[UntitledCyclist]

News Release

July 29, 2024

City of Toronto parking fines to increase on August 1 to support safer roads and reduce congestion

On August 1, the City of Toronto will increase parking fines for 123 offences to help curb illegal parking, stopping and standing in designated areas. Increasing fines can help reduce congestion by discouraging drivers from parking and stopping their vehicles in high-traffic areas and encouraging people to consider other modes of transportation such as walking, cycling or public transit to promote a smoother flow of traffic.

Some examples of the increased and new fines include:

• parking without paying at a parking meter (increase from $30 to $50).

• parking a prohibited vehicle on a bicycle path (increase from $60 to $200).

• non-electric vehicles or electric vehicles parked and not actively charging in an electric vehicle charging stall will be issued a $75 fine.

Meanwhile actively DRIVING in a bike lane or cycle track will cost you a whopping $65. And driving a car on a sidewalk? $90, which is the same fine levied for riding a skateboard.

I'm baffled at how low these fines are, but I imagine they are hypothetical anyway. A driver is extremely unlikely to be pulled over while driving in a bike lane by the understaffed bylaw enforcement unit. Maybe a cop could do so, as it's a driving offence, even if not governed by the HTA. Could be deemed careless driving? Or Dangerour Driving? Unclear to me.

 

[goreckm]

Meanwhile actively DRIVING in a bike lane or cycle track will cost you a whopping $65. And driving a car on a sidewalk? $90, which is the same fine levied for riding a skateboard.

I'm baffled at how low these fines are, but I imagine they are hypothetical anyway. A driver is extremely unlikely to be pulled over while driving in a bike lane by the understaffed bylaw enforcement unit. Maybe a cop could do so, as it's a driving offence, even if not governed by the HTA. Could be deemed careless driving? Or Dangerour Driving? Unclear to me.

View attachment 584658

Cops will absolutely not stop anyone unless they see people actively being hurt. I've seen countless cars drive up with half the car on the sidewalk, forcing people with mobility devices and strollers onto a busy street. Police drive by, no tickets. I've seen cops drive by people going the wrong way on a one-way. No ticket. Actually, I have heard of a cop give a ticket for this, when my friend got one for biking on a 10m span of road the wrong way since there was no direct connection between two streets.

I wonder if there is a public accounting of the amount of by-law violations for each of these. Would be useful to see if this is just performative.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Cops will absolutely not stop anyone unless they see people actively being hurt. I've seen countless cars drive up with half the car on the sidewalk, forcing people with mobility devices and strollers onto a busy street. Police drive by, no tickets. I've seen cops drive by people going the wrong way on a one-way. No ticket. Actually, I have heard of a cop give a ticket for this, when my friend got one for biking on a 10m span of road the wrong way since there was no direct connection between two streets.

I wonder if there is a public accounting of the amount of by-law violations for each of these. Would be useful to see if this is just performative.

Speaking of cops, yesterday I saw a bunch of police vehicles parked on and blocking the eastbound Bloor bike lane at Balmuto (just down the street from last week's fatal collision). Perhaps it was for some sort of emergency purpose, but that appeared unlikely since the owners of said vehicles were leisurely standing on the sidewalk outside Manulife, casually talking and laughing with each other. I should add that this was taking place around evening rush hour and I observed dozens of cyclists navigating precariously around the vehicles into the busy traffic lanes. I was of half a mind to stroll up to the police officers and politely inquire as to why they were blocking the bike lanes and endangering cyclists' lives, but naturally I chickened out being the coward that I am.

The end.

 

[PL1]

Cops will absolutely not stop anyone unless they see people actively being hurt. I've seen countless cars drive up with half the car on the sidewalk, forcing people with mobility devices and strollers onto a busy street. Police drive by, no tickets. I've seen cops drive by people going the wrong way on a one-way. No ticket. Actually, I have heard of a cop give a ticket for this, when my friend got one for biking on a 10m span of road the wrong way since there was no direct connection between two streets.

Although they do so very much love ticketing cyclists in High Park

 

[turbanplanner]

Meanwhile actively DRIVING in a bike lane or cycle track will cost you a whopping $65. And driving a car on a sidewalk? $90, which is the same fine levied for riding a skateboard.

I'm baffled at how low these fines are, but I imagine they are hypothetical anyway. A driver is extremely unlikely to be pulled over while driving in a bike lane by the understaffed bylaw enforcement unit. Maybe a cop could do so, as it's a driving offence, even if not governed by the HTA. Could be deemed careless driving? Or Dangerour Driving? Unclear to me.

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Your insurance increase will be at least 20x the fine amount!

 

[turbanplanner]

Although they do so very much love ticketing cyclists in High Park

Can we stick with reality? Something like 20 tickets were given to cyclists the entire year! Everyone brings this ad nauseum

 

[PL1]

Can we stick with reality? Something like 20 tickets were given to cyclists the entire year! Everyone brings this ad nauseum

That the TPS spends any effort on this while cyclists are dying *is* an issue

 

[bearcat]

Your insurance increase will be at least 20x the fine amount!

Are you absolutely sure about that? Are non-HTA driving offences records available to insurance companies?

 

[crs1026]

A dozen officers out of the city's 5,500 police officers doing bicycle safety is not an inordinate number, especially in High Park where the yellow jersey wannabe's ride in unsafe manners, putting other park users at risk.

I agree that we have an "enforcement" issue in this city, whether it's by-law enforcement, parking officers, transit security and fare enforcement, or policing. Nobody wants to clamp down on anyone, and the process required to see a ticket through to conviction is more time and effort than many agencies care to spend. And any charge laid results in counter-claims of discrimination or harassment of somebody.

Here on Park Lawn by the Ontario Food Terminal we have fast food outlets on a busy street that is signed No Stopping, but are favoured by highway transport drivers who like to park illegally to grab a double-double before they hop on the Gardiner. Not only do they block the bike lane, they also block autos, and create unsafe non-sight lines for drivers turning legally in and out of driveways. The irritating part is these same coffee shops see a steady flow of police officers, who consistently walk right by the offending 18-wheelers apparently oblivious to their presence. Complaints to various City contact points has not been successful.

I would not level similar accusations against OPP or other municipal police officers, but TPS officers clearly have a "see nothing, do nothing" culture - which is more driven by their leadership than by any fault of the individual officers.

- Paul