March 11, 1999
To:East York Community Council
From:Andrew Koropeski, Director, Transportation Services District 1
Subject:Parking Regulations - Airdrie Road
Ward:(1) East York
Purpose:
To respond to a request from East York Community Council regarding an amendment to parking regulations on Airdrie
Road to accommodate local residents during the summer months (May - September) when starlings return and roost in trees
on Airdrie Road.
Funding Sources:
The funds associated with the implementation of the proposed parking regulation amendments in the estimated amount of
$600.00 can be accommodated within the 1999 Transportation Services Division Operating Budget request.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
1. A 12 hr parking restriction be implemented on the north side of Airdrie Road, from a point 15 metres north of Heather
Road to a point 19 metres further north thereof, from May 1st to September 31st;
2. Parking be prohibited on the north side of Airdrie Road from a point 15 metres north of Heather Road to a point 19
metres further north thereof from October 1st to April 30th;
3. Parking be prohibited on the south side of Airdrie Road, from a point 15 metres north of Heather Road to a point 19
metres further north thereof, from May 1st to September 31st; and,
4.The appropriate City Officials be requested to take whatever action is necessary to give effect thereto, including the
introduction in Council of any Bills that are required.
Background:
East York Community Council, at its meeting on September 18, 1998, under Clause 14(b) in Report No. 13, recommended
that the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services report on the results of discussions with Mr. Gardiner and
interested residents on Airdrie Road to develop an acceptable solution to the problem of starlings residing in trees directly
overhead of private driveways and on the feasibility of implementing a special permit system to allow parking for longer
than the 3 hour limit.
Comments:
In 1998, Mr. Gary Gardiner, 31 Airdrie Road, resubmitted a petition requesting that permit parking be implemented on
Airdrie Road during the summer months in order to allow him to be able to park on the street legally for longer than the 3
hour limit. Mr Gardiner states that Starlings roost in the tree on his front yard during the summer months and soil his
vehicle on a continual basis. Staff have investigated parking options available to Mr Gardiner and other affected residents
on Airdrie Road, including permit parking and relaxed parking regulations. One potential measure which may resolve this
matter to some extent would be the introduction of a 12 hour parking regulation on the north side of Airdrie Road which
would allow for the parking of 2-3 vehicles.
The option of providing a permit for residents on Airdrie Road to park their cars on the street for the summer months is not
recommended. Permit parking is implemented on streets in the City where the demand for parking exceeds the supply. It is
not used to allocate specific on-street parking spaces to local residents. Permits are also issued to prevent non-residents
from parking for extended periods of time during the day or night. This situation typically occurs close to subway stations
or commercial centres which attract motorists from outside the area. There are no current permit parking streets in Leaside
other than a recently implemented section of Randolph Road.
Permits are not required where the supply of parking exceeds the demand. There is no advantage to providing permits to
residents on a street block when only 1 or 2 persons would buy them. Relaxing the parking restrictions would provide a
more cost effective solution for both the residents and the City. The residents would not have to pay for permits and the
City would not incur the administrative costs of providing a specialized permit for the street. It should also be noted that a
poll conducted in 1998 to determine the residents perspective on introducing permit parking on Airdrie Road yielded the
following results:
| Number polled |
19 |
| Responses |
16 |
| In Favour |
7 |
| Not in Favour |
9 |
Relaxed parking restrictions, in this case in the form of a 12 hour parking restriction for the months of May, June, July,
August and September also provide a measure of equity since the spaces will be available for the entire street. This will
provide residents with starling problems as well as other residents with equally valid personal parking concerns with
on-street parking for the summer months. For example, the concern for starlings soiling Mr. Gardiner's vehicle may be
equally important to another residents reasons for wanting temporary on-street parking. By providing parking for all
residents of the street, staff are not deemed to be providing personal parking privileges for a few at the inconvenience of
others.
It is necessary to locate the proposed parking spaces on the north side of the street in front of #1 Heather Road so that they
are not located underneath trees where the starlings roost. This could present an inconvenience to the resident of #1 Heather
Road and others since parking will occur on the street adjacent to their home for 5 months. To provide some relief, staff
recommend that parking also be prohibited during the remainder of the year at this location. After consulting with area
residents, staff also recommend that parking be prohibited on the south side of Airdrie Road directly opposite the proposed
12 hour parking restriction during the summer months. Copies of this report have been distributed to affected residents on
Airdrie Road, including #1 Heather Road, whom Transportation staff were unable to contact prior to the agenda deadline.
Contact Name:
Peter Bartos
Manager, Traffic Operations
District 1 - East
397-4486
Director
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