City staff are painting the town red as they work to discourage motorists from parking illegally.
As part of a new pilot project, curbs in nine locations across the city have been painted bright red in an attempt to discourage motorists from parking or idling alongside them.
Motorists who ignore the red curbs and proceed to park anyway will be ticketed immediately, with no exceptions made.
The pilot project is focusing on no parking zones near fire hydrants and pedestrian crossings.
“Parking signage can be confusing or unclear. These red curbs will make it crystal clear to drivers where they can park and where they cannot park,” Mayor Rob Ford said at a press conference to mark the beginning of the program Tuesday. “I am confident that with some smart planning and a small capital investment we will see dramatic impacts on traffic congestion and pedestrian safety.”
Tuesday’s press conference was held on a sidewalk on University Avenue near Armoury Street.
The spot, which is near both a fire hydrant and a crosswalk, is among those being painted red as part of the pilot project.
“We have two clues here. – a sign that says no stopping and a fire hydrant – but sometimes people need a bigger hint than that,” Public Works Chair Denzil Minnan-Wong told CP24 following the press conference. “We think painting the area red is as big a clue as we can give them.”
The program will last between six to eight months.
At the conclusion of the program, city staff will take a closer look at the success of the red curbs and will decide whether or not to paint other curbs in the city red.
The locations that are part of the project include:
- University Avenue north of Armoury Street
- University Avenue south of Armoury Street
- Spadina Avenue near Dundas Street West
- John Street north of Wellington Street West
- Armoury Street near St. Clair Avenue
- Armoury Street near Dufferin Street
- Town Centre Court near the Scarborough Civic Centre
- North York Boulevard east of Beecroft Road.
