A summary of the @car2goToronto story in Toronto.
car2go comes to Toronto in 2012. At the start, the model is that you pick up and drop off cars in Green P lots. This works well, but in other cities car2go (and competing services) allow customers to start/stop trips anywhere.
car2go comes to Toronto in 2012. At the start, the model is that you pick up and drop off cars in Green P lots. This works well, but in other cities car2go (and competing services) allow customers to start/stop trips anywhere.
So in June 2014, @m_layton writes to the city's Public Works & Infrastructure Committee and asks staff to report on a new kind of parking permit that would allow car2go to park on city-streets, like they do in other cities. Report request passes. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen… 
The report on allowing car2go to park anywhere comes to Public Works in October 2015. It takes 16 months. Transportation staff conclude that allowing free-floating car sharing would "have negative impacts on residential permit parking supply." app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…
So that report goes nowhere. A few months later, in March 2016, @car2goToronto announces they will move to a free-floating service model anyway, letting users park anywhere. They rack up just under $2 million in parking tickets. globalnews.ca/news/2593691/c…
After a year of this, @JayeRobinson, the chair of Public Works, brings another motion to committee, requesting a report on "a comprehensive free-floating car share vehicle policy." It passes. in February 2017, staff begin work on another report. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…
That report is completed in September 2017. It recommends council approve a 14-month pilot for free-floating car sharing, noting that car sharing like this reduces vehicle ownership and has done just fine in other cities. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…
The committee approves the pilot, passes it on to Toronto City Council for approval. But council is not having it. After many councillors express concern about parking availability for residents, @shelleycarroll moves to defer (delay) the item to January 2018. That passes.
The item comes back to Council in January 2018. New addition: car share vehicles not allowed to park in areas in the city where there are waiting lists for permit parking. Surely that's enough to get this pilot passed? I'll end this tweet on a CLIFFHANGER. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…
It wasn't enough. After more councillors express concern about parking availability for residents — and once it was clear it wasn't going to pass council — @m_layton moves to refer the item back to committee for more consideration. We're moving in circles.
So in April 2018, the item is back at committee. Staff propose more tweaks to the pilot — extending it to 18 months. Committee again approves it, but asks for a report on the feasibility of not allowing parking in areas at 95% of permit parking capacity. app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…
So we return to council for another vote on April 27, 2018. Staff have prepared three maps, showing what areas would be off limits (in orange) to car share users for parking at 90%, 95% and 100% permit capacity.
Coun. Fragedakis wants to limit car share users to parking in areas below 90% of capacity for permit parking. Her motion on that fails. But a second motion to restrict car sharing parking in 95% capacity areas passes. Vote is held after 5 p.m. on a Friday. Attendance is poor.
Another change: An additional motion by Coun. Doucette that would allow community councils to exclude certain streets from car share parking on an ad-hoc basis also passes.
But finally, nearly six years after it was first proposed, Toronto has a free-floating car share policy. Heavily modified, it passes council. Celebrate?
Less than a month later, @car2goToronto announces they are discontinuing operations in Toronto.
The end?
Less than a month later, @car2goToronto announces they are discontinuing operations in Toronto.
The end?
And now: @m_layton moves a motion for today’s council agenda that, if passed, will ask staff to consult with car2go and other car share industry members on improvements to the pilot.
PS: a reminder of what vehicle owners pay for on-street parking.
For one car, if you don’t have on-site parking: 51 cents per day
For a second car, no on-site parking: $1.29 per day
If you do have on-site parking but want to park on street anyway: $1.80 per day.
Plus HST.
For one car, if you don’t have on-site parking: 51 cents per day
For a second car, no on-site parking: $1.29 per day
If you do have on-site parking but want to park on street anyway: $1.80 per day.
Plus HST.
