Provision of a "Student Pick-up and Drop-off" area

Bond Street, East Side, from Dundas Street East

to Shuter Street (Vicinity of St. Michael's Choir School)

(Downtown)

The Toronto Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report (November 2, 1998) from the Director, Transportation Services District 1, Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

To provide short term parking for parents picking-up and dropping-off children attending the St. Michael's Choir School located at Premises No. 66 Bond Street.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not applicable.

Recommendations:

(1)That the standing prohibition and the parking prohibition, which both operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday on the east side of Bond Street, from a point 35.1 metres north of Shuter Street to a point 77.7 metres further north, be rescinded;

(2)That standing be prohibited from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday on the east side of Bond Street, from a point 58.4 metres north of Shuter Street to a point 54.4 metres further north;

(3)That parking be allowed for a maximum period of ten minutes from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, on the east side of Bond Street, from a point 16.7 metres north of Shuter Street to a point 41.7 metres further north;

(4)That parking be prohibited from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. of the next following day, Monday to Friday and at anytime Saturday and Sunday, on the east side of Bond Street, from a point 16.7 metres north of Shuter Street to a point 41.7 metres further north; and

(5)That the appropriate City Officials be requested to take whatever action is necessary to give effect to the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that are required.

Comments:

At the request of Councillor Kyle Rae on behalf of staff of the St. Michael's Choir School, located at Premises No. 66 Bond Street, I have investigated adjusting the existing parking regulations on the east side of Bond Street, from Shuter Street to Dundas Street East, to provide short term parking for parents picking-up and dropping-off students attending the school.

Bond Street, from Dundas Street East to Shuter Street operates two-way on a pavement width 8.5 metres with a maximum speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour. Standing and parking are prohibited from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday, on both sides of Bond Street from a point 35.1 metres north of Shuter Street to a point 77.7 metres further north. On the west side of the street, parking is otherwise prohibited at anytime and on the east side, parking is allowed for a maximum period of one hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., daily (controlled by 8 parking meters) and for a maximum period of three hours at other times. A mid-block pedestrian crossover is located on Bond Street about 100.0 metres south of Dundas Street East to enhance crossing safety for students of St. Michael's Choir School and a statutory stopping prohibition at anytime applies within 9.0 metres of the crossover.

St. Michael's Choir School has been involved in the "School Patroller Program" since September of 1996. This program enhances safety for children being picked up/dropped off in the vicinity of the school; however, parents/guardians, who stand their vehicles momentarily to escort their children into the school, are receiving parking tags as Parking Enforcement staff stringently enforce the parking/standing regulations.

In order to ameliorate this problem, a "Student Pick-up and Drop-off" area should be established on the east side of Bond Street across the school frontage, from a point 16.7 metres north of Shuter Street to a point 41.7 metres further north to facilitate parents picking up/dropping off students attending the St. Michael's Choir School.

In conjunction with the above, parking should be allowed for a maximum period of 10 minutes from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday (those times when there is the greatest demand for this provision), to ensure equitable use of the pick-up/drop-off area and provide sufficient time for parents/guardians to accompany the children directly to and from the school. Implementation of this suggestion would provide about 8 short term parking/loading spaces but would require the removal of 3 parking meters and the prohibition of parking at times other than during the operational hours of the parking/loading area on the east side of Bond Street.

This is a high demand parking area which generates about $9,000.00 annually in parking meter revenue for the City and the removal of the parking meters might create some inconvenience for patrons of commercial businesses on this street. Nevertheless, emphasis should be placed on enhancing safety for children over these relatively minor concerns. Although sight lines between pedestrians on the east side of Bond Street and northbound motorists theoretically would be reduced, realistically, despite the current level of enforcement, stopping takes place in this area on a regular basis and the impact of providing short term parking/loading spaces on advance sight lines and operational safety in general would likely be negligible.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Curt Russell, Traffic Investigator, 392-7771