When Toronto received an historic dump of snow last month, the city went through a whirlwind of emotions.
There was the delight of a five-day long weekend and the tobogganing kids could do at local hills. There was awe at taking in a winter wonderland. There was the frustration of shovelling out driveways.
And, then there was anger when it felt like the city couldn't get moving, especially along streetcar lines.
At first people were willing to understand. After all, this was Toronto's snowiest month since January 1999, when then-mayor Mel Lastman famously called in the army to help with snow removal. But the understanding only went so far. While the city estimated getting rid of the snow would take three weeks, after a couple of days people were tired of not being able to get around.
Streetcars blocked by parked cars became a major pinch point.
Cars can ordinarily park on streetcar routes, but not in the aftermath of a snowstorm, when large snow banks force vehicles closer to the streetcar tracks. Signs displaying "snow route" let drivers know parking was prohibited.
That didn't change the behaviour of drivers, who were some combination of ignorant, negligent or entitled. And people were furious.
The city runs out of patience
Toronto's subreddit lit up. People called for fines much larger than $200 for inconveniencing hundreds of people. Coun. Dianne Saxe (University-Rosedale) echoed that idea in a motion. Others wanted to see a fleet of tow trucks rapidly respond, or some sort of vigilante justice.
Coun. Brad Bradford (Beaches-East York) tried to channel the anger towards the mayor's office. “This is about a lack of accountability and leadership, and the need to demand better performance,” Bradford wrote in a Toronto Star op-ed, noting snow-clearing crews had success after a big storm in 2022.
In his op-ed, Bradford did not mention he supported the controversial 2021 snow clearing contract negotiated under John Tory's administration.
But he does have a point that the city needs to demand better. In fact, ensuring improved standards and performance from city services was a key Chow campaign promise, made against the backdrop of garbage cans routinely overflowing and public washrooms getting locked at early hours.
The initial response from the TTC and the mayor's office was pleading. "Please, please, please be mindful when parking on streets with streetcar tracks," wrote the transit agency, a tone that was halfway between a Sabrina Carpenter banger and subservient politeness.
Chow also started off with politeness and kindly asking drivers to observe the rules. Only later did she pivot to a more forceful response, calling the snow clearing "unacceptable" and asking for an auditor general review.
It took 12 days for Chow to get to that point, exhibiting a level of patience not shared by the average Torontonian.
There's a solution to blocked streetcar chaos
There is no doubt changes are needed. But I'm skeptical that fines, litigation against snow-clearing companies or even an increased tow truck fleet will do the trick.
Instead, this is an opportunity for a long overdue idea that can serve everyone.
Toronto should eliminate on-street parking on streetcar routes, all-year round.
It is absurd that you can rent 160 square feet of valuable city real estate for a few dollars an hour. The late parking researcher Donald Shoup found on-street parking has many negative consequences, including drivers continually circling the block trying to find the perfect spot, thereby creating more traffic.
We’re being told by Premier Doug Ford that traffic congestion is such a problem that untold billions must be spent widening roads and bike lanes must be torn up.
Well, we have a nice little solution here that could serve drivers and cyclists alike.
Some people won't like the idea. When 2014 mayoral candidate David Soknacki proposed an on-street parking ban for major arteries, Chow pushed back, saying it would be hard on small businesses. But that's a similar argument to the one against Bloor Street bike lanes, where data found that sales picked up.
The underlying assumption in support of on-street parking on streetcar routes is the same one that sees streetcars blocked: some drivers feel there's an unwritten contract that entitles them to door-to-door access from their home to their destination. They're wrong.
Whether it's following snowstorms or in clear weather, if Toronto wants to improve how it moves it needs to give up some of its sacred cows, and on-street parking on streetcar routes is a good place to start.
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David Hains is the former editor of Torontoist and deputy editor of Queen's Park Briefing.
