City considering 10-minute grace period for parking tickets

Drivers may soon be coughing up more coinage at parking meters, but city officials are also eyeing a proposal to give drivers an extended grace period on tickets.

The government management committee wants to boost prices at Toronto Parking Authority meters to reflect inflation increases. The current rates have been in place since 2007.

The proposed increases include:

•    Machine/metered spaces with a current rate of $3.50 per hour be increased to $4.00.
•    Machine/metered spaces with a current rate of $2.50 per hour be increased to $3.00.
•    Machine/metered spaces with a current rate of $2.00 per hour be increased to $2.25.

The committee will consider the price hikes next Wednesday and if approved, the matter will go to council for a final vote on July 11. Read the proposal here.

But what the city plans to take away with one hand, it could give — a little — with the other.

The same committee will consider a proposal to expand the grace period on parking tickets, meaning the yellow slip could be cancelled if it was issued within 10 minutes of the pay-and-display ticket expiring. The current grace period is five minutes.

“By cancelling the ticket without having to schedule a trial, court costs associated with such tickets are reduced, while court capacity would be preserved to hear more serious parking ticket or traffic offences,” the motion states. “This will streamline overall service delivery and provide improved customer service by having parking ticket disputes resolved in a more timely manner.”

The 10-minute rule wouldn’t apply to vehicles parked on major routes during rush hour periods.
If approved at committee, this proposal will also then be considered by council on July 11.

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