A London politician is calling for an overhaul of the city's on-street parking restrictions.
In a letter heading to the civic works committee next week, Ward 2 Councillor Shawn Lewis is asking that city staff compile a report on impacts and recommendations on four potential changes to London's parking rules. The changes include shortening the on-street overnight parking ban to November 1 to April 30, allowing residents to purchase additional overnight parking permits beyond the 15 free ones currently offered, extending the 12 hour parking limit for non-metered parking spots to 18 hours, and eliminating the by-law that prohibits homeowners from parking vehicles in their driveway parallel to the road.
"It's a common-sense approach," said Lewis. "We don't need overnight parking restrictions that start in September... Really having the overnight parking ban starting as early as it does and running as late as it does come down to an opportunity to collect parking fines. I don't think parking in residential neighbourhoods, where people are swapping out cars because they work shift work or because they have had a guest stay overnight, or to discourage drinking and driving is something we should be looking at as a source of revenue."
Currently, the on-street overnight parking ban in most neighbourhoods is in effect between Labour Day and Victoria Day each year.
Lewis notes his proposed parking changes don't include neighbourhoods around Western University and Fanshawe College, which have a year-round ban on leaving a vehicle parked in the street overnight - a measure taken to curb student parking.
Extending the 12 hour limit on parking in a specific spot to 18 hours would help shift workers, while letting people purchase additional overnight parking permits could help the city recoup lost parking ticket revenue, said Lewis.
By repealing the bylaw that prohibits vehicles from parking sideways on the skirt of a residential driveway, Lewis adds it will give people more flexibility while also getting a vehicle off the street.
"It's far better to have somebody park their car at the end of their driveway between the sidewalk and the road, if they can fit one there, than to leave their car on the road overnight," said Lewis. "Whether it's in January when we may have snow overnight or whether it is in July when someone may be biking home in the wee hours of the evening and if that car is on the driveway skirt rather than on the road, that is one less road obstacle for the cyclist."
Since first floating the proposed parking changes Lewis has heard from nearly 100 Londoners, 91 of whom were in favour of the changes.
