Delineation of a Day Care Pick-up/Drop-off Area

- Bushell Avenue, East Side at the South End

(Don River)

The Toronto Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report (January8, 1999) from the Director of Transportation Services, District 1, Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

To provide short term parking in a designated area to enable motorists to park and take children into the daycare facility at Riverdale Collegiate.

Funding Sources:

Funds to undertake the necessary signage adjustments in the estimated amount of $300.00 are contained in the Transportation Services Division 1999 Current Budget request.

Recommendations:

(1) That parking be allowed for a maximum period of 10 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday on the east side of Bushell Avenue from a point 15.0 metres north of the south end to a point 22.0 metres further north;

(2) That the permit parking hours of operation be adjusted from 12:01 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., daily to apply from 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., daily on the east side of Bushell Avenue from a point 15.0 metres north of the south end to a point 22.0 metres further north; and

(3)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 a representative of Woodgreen Community Childrens Services and in consultation with East Toronto Councillors Tom Jakobek and Sandra Bussin, staff of Works and Emergency Services have investigated delineating a Daycare Pick-up/Drop-off Area with parking allowed for a maximum period of 10 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, on the east side of Bushell Avenue at the rear of Riverdale Collegiate.

Bushell Avenue from Myrtle Avenue to the south end is a residential street operating two way with a pavement width of 7.3 metres. Parking on Bushell Avenue is allowed by permit only from 12:01 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., daily and parking is otherwise allowed for a maximum period of three hours on both sides of the street. The current permit parking regulations are intended to deter transient parkers, (including students attending Riverdale Collegiate) from parking early in the morning and remaining throughout the day. Riverdale Collegiate is located at the south end of Bushell Avenue and a daycare facility is located in the school.

Our site investigation has revealed that parking is generally light to moderate on Bushell Avenue during the daytime and parking spaces are usually available. A Daycare Pick-up/Drop-off Area could be delineated on the east side of Bushell Avenue from a point 15.0 metres north of the south end of the street to a point 22.0 metres further north. This would provide sufficient room for about four vehicles. Coupled with the delineation signage, parking should be allowed for a maximum period of 10 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday in this area to enable parents/guardians to park for a short period of time while accompanying the child to/from the daycare facility.

Implementation of this proposal would not reduce the number of permit parking spaces on Bushell Avenue. However, this proposal would require reducing the permit parking operational hours from 12:01 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., daily to apply from 12:01 to 7:00 a.m., daily on the above-noted section of the street. The reduction of permit parking hours constitutes a Adeprivation@ to permit holders. Under the procedures adopted by the former City of Toronto Council, we are required to notify all affected permit holders. A notice of deprivation of permit parking hours was posted in the Globe and Mail newspaper on November 19, 1998, the deadline for responses was December 4, 1998 and no objections were received.

I note that permit parkers would be exempt from the 10 minute temporal parking regulation. Therefore, the intended pick-up/drop-off area spaces could legally be occupied for extended periods of time by permit parkers. However, it has been our experience in similar situations elsewhere in the City that the presence of Daycare Pick-up/Drop-off Area information signs tends to discourage permit parkers from parking in such areas during the daytime.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

David G. Dignard, 392-7771

Traffic Investigator.