Drivers in Toronto who park along a street painted to accommodate traffic signals are getting a rude awakening: they’re getting ticketed.
Enroute to a job where he helps to build traffic signals, John Fleming spotted the madness last week. He posted a photo of the parking spot on his social media account.
“My old career is back in full effect as I manage to drive past another city-owned parking facility on College Street and see parked cars in a…spot. I’m not 100% positive who is paying for the spot, but anyone who loves red road paint will be interested to know that it’s the EnRoute sign operator who is clearly in charge of the signs,” he wrote on his account.
The photo has more than 12,000 likes and 70,000 shares.
Toronto Mayor John Tory and Toronto City Council have been widely criticized for the problem. In addition to the predicament drivers face, traffic signals along that stretch of street have consistently been among the most expensive and often congested in Toronto.
Toronto’s outdated Smart Parking Program directs motorists toward spots where the city has access to green paint – but the challenge is that drivers can park in spots painted on poles without any way to know if the sign operator is aware of the spot or the resident who has painted it, he said.
“What we have to do is all of these signs have to be in writing. They have to be accompanied by an oral reading for anybody who is not familiar with the signs,” Toronto Mayor John Tory told CP24 in July.
He also said it could be time to find a system of better signage that isn’t solely reliant on the sign operator or a head-of-household to ensure there is adequate space.
Tory told CP24 that while he doesn’t know the source of the problem, he has asked City Council to help him work with the Traffic Management Bureau to find a solution.