PROPOSAL TO 1) IMPLEMENT ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING

ON HILLDALE ROAD; AND 2) EXTEND ON-STREET PERMIT PARKING ON

HILLDALE ROAD, BETWEEN GARROW AVENUE AND

HUMBER BOULEVARD SOUTH - Ward 27, York Humber

City Clerk

(September 27, 1999)

Purpose:

To show results of a poll conducted of residents on Hilldale Road regarding a proposal to implement alternate side parking on Hilldale Road, and/or extend on-street permit parking between Garrow Road and Humber Boulevard South.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

None.

Recommendation:

For the consideration and direction of York Community Council.

Background:

York Community Council, at its meeting held on March 30, 1999 directed that the City Clerk conduct a poll of residents on Hilldale Road to determine majority interest with respect to this proposal.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The following is a breakdown of the poll results, based on the number of replies returned:

Total No. Polled:74

No. of Replies Received:19* or 26%

*It should be noted that, although 19 poll forms were returned, one did not include a response to the second proposal.

Proposal #1 - To Implement Alternate Side Parking on Hilldale Road

No. of Replies in Favour:7 or 37%

No. of Replies Not in Favour:12 or 63%

Proposal #2 - To Extend On-street Permit Parking on Hilldale Road, Between Garrow Avenue and Humber Boulevard South

(As indicated above, only 18 poll forms included a response to this second question).

No. of Replies in Favour:7 or 39%

No. of Replies Not in Favour:11 or 61%

Comments from residents are attached hereto as Appendix 1.

Conclusion:

As noted above:

i)The majority of residents are not in favour of the proposal to implement alternate side parking on Hilldale Road;

ii)The majority of residents are not in favour of the proposal to extend on-street permit parking on Hilldale Road, between Garrow Avenue and Humber Boulevard South.

 Contact Name:

Steve Brown, Transportation Services

392-5202

392-8504 (fax)

or

Valerie D'Alessandro, Committee Secretary

394-2522

394-2803 (fax)

Appendix 1

Page 1

i)Proposal to Implement Alternate Side Parking on Hilldale Road

ii)Proposal to Extend On-street Permit Parking on Hilldale Road,

Between Garrow Avenue and Humber Boulevard South

Comments from Residents:

a)Lately, parking on Hilldale Road has become very crowded. Many times, people have blocked our driveway and others' also, making it hard to get in or out of our driveway. We have found that cars sometimes don't belong to someone visiting on our street, so it makes it more difficult to ask them to please move it. We also have a mechanic who parks many cars on the street while working on another. Parking at times is very difficult to find when people are visiting.

b)Permanent parking should also be permitted on Garrow Road as there are only three houses on the street. More tickets should be issued to vehicles parked on the west side of Hilldale, blocking both the street and the sidewalk every evening. I have to walk on the street to get by. We need sidewalks on Garrow Road as well on the south side.

c)Any place we've seen alternate side of the street parking used, people park on both sides of the street.

There is a place near Humber Blvd. on the east side of Hilldale where parking is currently prohibited. If parking were allowed there, about six or so cars could be accommodated. Permits would stop non-residents from leaving cars here for days at a time. Please make provisions for temporary permits to be issued for driveway repairs, etc. Thank you.

d)This is very beneficial to everyone. Having our streets cleaned on the east side would be great.

e)Because of the increase of car and heavy truck traffic on Hilldale Rd. and also the speed they travel at, above 80 km per hour at times, I do not think there should be any parking at all. It's very dangerous for anyone stepping from between the cars and trucks that are parked on the road and sidewalk (west side). Also, there is no stop sign at Garrow and Hilldale. Kids on bikes come right out into traffic; so do cars. Someone is sure to get hit. 12th Division has been told of this problem.

f)Please note that I am in favour of the proposal to implement alternate side parking on Hilldale Rd. only.

g)In answer to your literature you sent to residents of Hilldale Rd., you say that with a permit you are allowed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, twelve months a year; if you don't have a sticker you get a ticket. How come you have sold all the spaces to residents of

i)Proposal to Implement Alternate Side Parking on Hilldale Road

ii)Proposal to Extend On-street Permit Parking on Hilldale Road,

Between Garrow Avenue and Humber Boulevard South

Ontario Housing on Humber Blvd. (even though their garage for parking is not half full)? Why are they allowed to park on Hilldale when there is no permit parking signs on Jasper and Cliff and Humber? On the permit sticker, it states (vehicle plate location) the stickers on Hilldale parked cars have nothing on the permit sticker.

Also, how can you sell spaces to people on Hilldale when you have already sold them to the Ontario Housing residents? What's going to happen with the street plowing in the winter? We can't get our street cleaned properly now. And, as for giving out tickets for illegal parking, that is a joke! We have had a car parking in front of 53 Hilldale without a licence plate or sticker for ten weeks before the person in Ontario Housing moved it. Right now, in front of 57 Hilldale, we have a relic of a car with flat tires parked. Up to now, it is six weeks. The person doesn't even live on the street. I stopped a policeman and showed him. He looked at it and drove away.

So, the answer is: Your Toronto Parking Authority does what it wants to do, with the help of the Police Department. What Hilldale residents want means nothing. You people and the councillors have it all figured out how to get all the money you can anyway.

h)We feel, as taxpayers, the privileges should not be given to people who do not reside on this street. We have watched as people dispose of their garbage on our street, leave their parked cars there for two to four weeks at a time and are not ticketed. Our streets are not properly cleaned due to cars and snow removal is almost impossible. Both my husband and I hare in our 50s. We make sure our property and sidewalks are cleared in the winters and the people who park their vehicles in front of our homes disrupt the snow banks, leaving us with another 'mess' to clean up. These people have no respect for us and our property. Why should we give them the opportunity to park on these streets?

i)I am in favour of proposal #1 for the following reasons:

i)Currently, the City cannot clean the roads on the east side as cars are always parked there;

ii)The City has not been able to clean the sewers;

iii)Our streets are looking like a garbage dump;

iv)Cars are parked too close to my driveway, which makes it dangerous for me to drive out. There were several occasions when I almost got into an accident.

There are no houses between 75 Hilldale to 121 Humbler Blvd., yet there is not parking there anytime. This should be looked into -- doesn't make sense. Why no parking there?

Appendix 1

i)Proposal to Implement Alternate Side Parking on Hilldale Road

ii)Proposal to Extend On-street Permit Parking on Hilldale Road,

Between Garrow Avenue and Humber Boulevard South

j)We want a quiet street. Some are doing their business, like selling drugs on the street. Some are delivering anything illegal in a residential area. They don't even use their garages. They just put some stuff on it. Don't give us more problems on Hilldale Rd.!

k)I like to bring to your attention my opposition to proposal #2, especially the provision that would allow a vehicle to occupy a parking space for seven days at a time.

The second proposal, as written, reads quite confusing. It explains on-street parking regulations that have not been upheld by authorities for years. Cars and trucks were and are "stored" along the northern section of Hilldale Road, even for months, sometimes without licence plates. Our complaints were rebuked because of displayed permits. Other drivers living at 121 Humber Boulevard told me that they preferred to leave their cars on the street as a space in their own garage is far more expensive than a parking permit.

The houses along Hilldale Road all have driveways and/or garages. The street is being used as a shortcut around the St. Clair/Keele Street intersection and is, therefore, quite busy. Additional construction recently started near us will only worsen the situation. Because parked automobiles seriously hamper the vision, moving cars in and out of driveways becomes quite dangerous!

The northernmost part of the street is signed as a 'No Parking' zone, but permit holders are allowed to park! These cars can block the view all the way north toward a bridge that crosses the creek into Alliance Avenue. The bridge itself is a queer design of two one-way lanes at odd angles. Although the bridge, Hilldale Road and neighbouring streets are liberally supplied with stop signs, these signs are being constantly ignored. High-speed driving is common, especially along the northern part of the street. Allowing parking, in particular extended parking, certainly will make the road more unsafe.

I like to raise an additional point. Drivers parked along the curb just love to discard there garbage here on the sidewalk and even upon the embankment running along the 'No Parking' signed length of the road. It makes the area very unsightly. Any windblown trash tends to accumulate on the first properties encountered and force the owners to clean up. A street-cleaning by the sweepers is made nearly impossible. Most of the permits issued will surely go to off-street recipients, aggravating the situation.

To be fair, I must say that, recently, non-permit holders only were found tagged in the morning on the 'No Parking' part of Hilldale Road. Of course, this did not stop any permit holders to park there.

It may also help if the City could indicate the exact junction of Hilldale Rod and Humber Boulevard. A sign -- 'To Hilldale Road' -- is the only marker now.

Please give careful consideration to the points I have raised in opposition to extended on-street permit parking.