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Staff Report
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Report To: General Government Committee
Date of Meeting: February 16, 2021 Report Number: LGS-011-21
Submitted By:
Reviewed By:
File Number:
Rob Maciver, Director of Legislative Services
Andrew C. Allison, CAO
Report Subject: Courtesy Pass — 3 Hour Parking
Recommendations:
1. That Report LGS-011-21 be received;
Resolution#: GG-191-21
By-law Number:
2. That the annual permitted uses for courtesy passes be increased to 14 uses per
vehicle; and
3. That all interested parties listed in Report LGS-011-21 and any delegations be
advised of Council's decision.
Municipality of Clarington
Report LGS-011-21
Report Overview
Page 2
A report on the extending of a three-hour parking maximum and increasing the permitted
times per year for courtesy passes.
1. Background
1.1 At the October 19, 2020 General Government Committee meeting, Committee passed
the following Resolution # GG-342-20:
That the delegation of Lisa Butson be referred to Staff to report back on whether
any changes can be made to the Traffic By-law including:
a. The potential to extend the three-hour time limit on residential street;
and
b. Increasing the number of temporary parking passes.
1.1 On -street parking has been an ongoing concern for residents, both as a matter of
safety, and the inability to accommodate all their parking needs. The Municipality has
attempted to balance these concerns by permitting apron parking and through a
managed, purchased on street parking pass and a courtesy on -street visitor pass.
1.2 On -street courtesy passes have been available since May 2017. The program was
intended for visitors and residents who, on occasion, require a temporary solution to
accommodate vehicles. The duration of a courtesy pass is 24 hours. There is no fee
associated and each licensed vehicle is permitted up to seven passes in a calendar
year. The use of these passes has been successful (Attachment 1). The usage of
purchased, on -street parking passes has remained relatively constant over the last four
years (Attachment 1) with no significant increases or decreases. These on -street
parking passes are for residents whose parking needs exceed their available parking.
1.3 The use of courtesy passes indicates that the majority of requests are for visitors and
driveway repairs, which was the intention of the program. Review of the usage statistics
suggests a trend towards the use of courtesy passes by multiple vehicles within one
household.
Municipality of Clarington
Report LGS-011-21
2. Surrounding Municipalities
Page 3
2.1 Municipal parking by-laws are generally similar from municipality to municipality.
Various factors such as geography, population, residential and business needs can
contribute to minor variations of parking regulations.
2.2 Three-hour parking is a standard restriction throughout Durham Region. It is also very
common in cities such as Toronto and Peterborough. The three-hour restriction is to
assist in keeping vehicles off the roadway and moving; thereby decreasing traffic
congestion and habitual use of the street for parking.
2.3 Municipalities reduce the parking limit from three hours in areas which are posted
otherwise, such as one or two hour limits. Parking requirements beyond the three-hour
limit are managed through parking permits either in a managed fee system or a courtesy
pass. Extending the parking limit beyond three hours would impair enforcement efforts
due to the decreased ability to perform a follow-up visit during the same regular shift.
2.4 Within Durham Region, the municipalities of Oshawa, Pickering, Ajax and Whitby all
provide courtesy passes similar to Clarington. In Oshawa, 10 courtesy passes are
available per vehicle per year. In Pickering, the number of passes is 21. In Whitby,
courtesy passes area available for up to 7 days per year, and there are restrictions
placed on the number of vehicles available per residential address. Ajax currently issues
up to 12 courtesy passes per year, although there is a proposal to reduce this number to
5, and to permit up to 7 additional passes at a cost of $12 per day.
2.5 Managed on -street permits for residents that may not be able to accommodate all their
parking requirements are not available in surrounding Durham Region municipalities.
Whitby is currently reviewing the option of a managed permitting system similar to
Clarington's. In Toronto, a much more comprehensive permitting system is in place.
Designated areas are assigned for on street permit parking. In addition, fees are based
on a need over convenience for permits. In Toronto, where a residence does not have
a physical parking area, a parking permit is available for $19 per month for the first
vehicle, with an additional vehicle permit for $59 per month. Where there is access to a
garage or driveway, the permit is for considered for convenience with a cost of $83 per
month. Clarington permits one vehicle per household for a fee of $39 per a month.
Municipality of Clarington
Report LGS-011-21
3. Concurrence
Page 4
This report has been reviewed by the Director of Financial Services/Treasurer who
concurs with the recommendations.
4. Conclusion
The courtesy pass has been beneficial to residents looking for short term parking to
accommodate their needs, including visiting guests. As the courtesy pass is not
intended to provide a solution to a resident's long-term parking needs, an increase to
the number of courtesy passes available per year would assist in short term parking
requirements.
It is respectfully recommended that the annual permitted uses for courtesy passes be
increased to 14 uses per vehicle per year. It is recommended that the maximum
duration for vehicles without a permit not be extended to more than 3 hours.
Staff Contact: Duncan Anderson, Municipal Law Enforcement Manager, 905-623-3379 ext.
2110 or danderson@clarington.net.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 — Permit Use
Interested Parties:
List of Interested Parties available from Department.
Attachment 1 to Report LGS-011-21
Clarington Residential Passes
Year
Number of
Residential Passes
2017
296
2018
183
2019
300
2020
281
Total:
1060
Courtesy Passes Per Plate and Household
Year
Number of Days Issued
Passes Per
Vehicle
Passes Per
Individual
2017
5,601
1,765
1,193
2018
10,270
3,277
2,167
2019
14,165
4,752
3,193
2020
11,398
3,730
2,552
Courtesy Passes By Type
Type
Number of
Passeslssued
Driveway:
11,268
Function:
516
Other:
6,485
Visitor:
23,165
Total: 1 41,434