Provision of Bicycle Parking with the Conversion

to Pay-And-Display On-Street Parking

The Works Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (January 5, 2000) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, subject to amending Recommendation No. (1) by adding thereto the words:

"and that the framework used by departmental staff for such decisions be made in consultation with the Toronto Cycling Committee";

so that such Recommendation reads as follows:

"(1) Transportation Services determine the appropriate number and location of replacement post-and-ring bicycle stands, including reusing the existing meter posts where appropriate, and that the framework used by departmental staff for such decisions be made in consultation with the Toronto Cycling Committee;":

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to set out a strategy and cost-sharing arrangement for Works and Emergency Services and the Toronto Parking Authority to provide high quality and cost-effective bicycle parking in areas where parking meters are to be replaced by pay-and-display machines.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Funding is available to carry out this work within the submitted Works and Emergency Services 2000 Capital Budget, and the Toronto Parking Authority 2000 Operating Budget.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that on City of Toronto streets where pay-and-display machines have been installed or are being installed in the future to replace parking meters, replacement bicycle parking be provided according to the following principles:

(1) Transportation Services determine the appropriate number and location of replacement post-and-ring bicycle stands, including reusing the existing meter posts where appropriate;

(2) Transportation Services manage the installation and long-term maintenance of all replacement post-and-ring bicycle stands as part of its ongoing bicycle parking program;

(3) the Toronto Parking Authority pay up to $65.00 per post for the placement of bicycle locking rings on meter posts where the existing post can be reused and, where new posts are required, the Toronto Parking Authority pay up to $65.00 per post and Works and Emergency Services pay any additional costs, over and above this amount; and

(4) the Toronto Parking Authority pay for the installation of new post-and-ring bicycle stands in locations where parking meter posts have already been removed.

Background:

City Council, at its meeting on December 14, 15 and 16, 1999, had before it Clause No. 24(w) of Works Committee Report No. 6, entitled "Impact of Removal of Parking Meters on Cyclists", advising that the Works Committee referred a November 26, 1999 communication from the Toronto Cycling Committee to the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services for a report to the Works Committee, to be prepared in consultation with the Toronto Parking Authority.

The Toronto Cycling Committee's November 26, 1999 communication included the following recommendations:

(a) parking meter heads not be removed until adequate bicycle parking is available;

(b) parking meters be replaced with post-and-ring bicycle stands wherever there is a demand for bicycle parking;

(c) there be a moratorium on further post removals and alternative uses of parking meter posts be considered; and

(d) the Toronto Parking Authority fund the cost of providing replacement bicycle parking when parking meters are removed.

Discussion:

The Toronto Parking Authority is replacing many of the City's downtown parking meters with pay-and-display machines. This program provides a number of benefits to the City, including lower maintenance costs, increased on-street parking revenues, an increased number of parking spaces and the added convenience for users to pay with a credit card. Approximately 150 pay-and-display machines were installed in 1999 and a further 400 are to be installed in 2000. Each pay-and-display machine replaces approximately eight parking meters. In some areas each parking meter post supports one meter head and in other areas the post supports two meter heads each. The 400 pay-and-display machines planned for installation in 2000 represent between 1,600 and 3,200 parking meter posts, which will no longer be needed for on-street automobile parking.

While parking meters were not intended to provide bicycle parking, they have been a very important resource for cyclists. The removal of parking meters means a reduction in the number of bicycle parking opportunities for cyclists. Reducing bicycle parking opportunities, especially in the downtown core where there is a very high demand for bicycle parking, is not consistent with Council's commitment to encouraging cycling.

Transportation Services staff have been working with Toronto Parking Authority staff to resolve this problem. Our goal is to ensure that high quality and cost-effective bicycle parking is provided in areas where parking meters are being replaced with pay-and-display machines.

There are four four key issues which need to be addressed in designing an effective program to replace parking meters with bicycle parking. These issues are: providing an adequate supply of bicycle parking; determining appropriate locations for bicycle parking; funding new bicycle parking; and the timing on bicycle parking installations.

(1) Need to Provide more than Adequate Bicycle Parking Supply:

Some cyclists have advocated providing one new post-and-ring bicycle stand for every existing parking meter post. The number of parking meters in any given block has no relation to the bicycle parking demand for that block. Some blocks will need as many bicycle stands as parking meters and others will need fewer. For example, we know from experience that a block occupied by a surface parking lot will require fewer bicycle stands than a block occupied by commercial or retail establishments. While bicycle parking should be provided in every block where meters are being removed, more resources should be focused where bicycle parking demand is greater. As a result, Transportation Services staff will review every block proposed for conversion to pay-and-display to determine bicycle parking demand.

(2) Determining Appropriate Locations for Bicycle Parking:

The City has different criteria for installing parking meters and bicycle stands because they serve very different functions. In both instances they need to be installed in locations where they do not impede pedestrians on the sidewalk. Bicycle stands, however, are generally installed further from the curb in order to protect the bicycle and the bike stand itself from being damaged by a car or truck backing into a parking space. Parking meter posts are typically installed 0.40 to 0.45 metres from the curb. Post-and-ring bicycle stands are typically installed 0.70 to 1.0 metres from the curb, depending on the available sidewalk and boulevard width.

The presence of parking meters on a given sidewalk does not necessarily mean that bicycle parking can be easily accommodated. A post-and-ring bicycle stand with a bicycle locked to one or both sides occupies considerably more space than a parking meter. Some narrow sidewalks which currently have parking meters are too narrow to accommodate parked bicycles and maintain good pedestrian access. In these situations, Transportation Services will identify alternative bicycle stand locations that serve cyclists' needs and maintain good pedestrian access.

The pay-and-display system increases the amount of parking available because individual parking spaces do not have to be designated on the roadway. This means that parking meter posts, if maintained in their current locations, will often be situated immediately adjacent to parked car doors rather than between two parking spaces. Bicycles locked to these posts, if they are 0.40 metres from the curb, will block access to and from parked cars and will be more vulnerable to damage from cars and trucks backing into a parking space.

When both the installation and life-cycle maintenance costs are considered, it is often more cost effective to install a new bicycle stand than to attach a bicycle ring to an existing meter post. There is a small installation cost savings in attaching bicycle locking rings to the existing parking meter posts rather than installing a new post-and-ring stand (approximately $65.00 versus $75.00). However, this cost savings is negated if the existing posts are located too close to the curb and therefore more vulnerable to damage by cars and trucks backing into a parking space. Replacing just two percent of these retrofitted post-and-ring bicycle stands each year would result in a higher life-cycle cost than if new post-and-ring bicycle stands were installed further from the curb where they are less likely to be damaged.

For the reasons outlined above, Transportation Services staff will review all parking meter posts to determine whether they are suitable to be reused for bicycle parking. Posts that are not suitable for reuse will be replaced with a new post-and-ring bicycle stand in a more appropriate location. Our primary objective in locating bicycle stands is to provide a high quality facility for cyclists, while also maintaining unimpeded access for pedestrians on the sidewalk.

(3) Funding New Bicycle Parking:

Works and Emergency Services, Transportation Services Division has submitted an increase in the annual funding allocation for bicycle parking to $100,000.00 in 2000 in order to expand the program City-wide. However, new bicycle parking required as a result of the pay-and-display program, primarily in District 1, cannot be accommodated within our bicycle parking program without diverting resources from other areas of the City. Therefore, we have established a cost-sharing arrangement between the Toronto Parking Authority and Works and Emergency Services to carry out this work.

The Toronto Parking Authority at its meeting on December 13, 1999, adopted the following cost-sharing arrangement:

(a) where parking meter posts have been removed due to the installation of pay-and-display equipment, the Parking Authority will pay to install new post-and-ring bicycle stands;

(b) where parking meters are being replaced by pay-and-display equipment and the existing meter posts can be reused, the Parking Authority will pay for the new ring and the placement of the ring on the existing post up to a cost of $65.00 per meter post; and

(c) where Transportation Services wants to install a new post, the Parking Authority will pay the retro-fit cost ($65.00) and Works and Emergency Services will pay any additional costs, over and above this amount, associated with installing a new post.

(4) New Bicycle Parking Should be Provided before Parking Meters are Removed:

The Toronto Cycling Committee has requested that there be a moratorium on further post removals and that alternative uses for the posts be considered. Transportation Services and the Toronto Parking Authority staff are in agreement that posts not required for bicycle parking should be removed as soon as possible after new pay-and-display machines are installed. The presence of posts without the meters can lead to confusion about whether paid parking is in effect, particularly for those drivers who are unfamiliar with the pay-and-display machines.

Transportation Services and the Toronto Parking Authority staff are committed to providing new bicycle parking at the same time as/or before parking meters are removed in future pay-and-display areas. On streets in the downtown core where meters have been removed this fall, we are working to have the replacement bicycle parking installed as soon as possible.

Given the large number of pay-and-display machines to be installed this year, the pay-and-display machine installation program must commence by April 1, 2000. Transportation Services and Toronto Parking Authority staff will work together to ensure that the replacement bicycle parking is installed in a timely manner and that the pay-and-display machine installation program is not delayed.

This report has been prepared in consultation with the Toronto Parking Authority.

Conclusions:

With the new cost-sharing arrangement in place, Transportation Services and the Toronto Parking Authority staff can provide high quality and cost-effective bicycle parking in a timely manner as parking meters are replaced by pay-and-display machines.

Contact:

Daniel Egan

Manager, Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure

Tel: 392-9065; Fax: 392-4426