Kyle Rae and Michael Feldman:
Above the Law?

Toronto residents, under a city by-law are required to clear their ice within 12 hours of snow or rainfall. Apparently, for some unbeknown reason, this by-law doesn't appear to apply to the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA). Councilors Kyle Rae and Michael Feldman are both on the board for the TPA.

During the December 2007 snowstorm The Toronto Tribune noticed that sidewalks next to some TPA Parking lots were ice fields well after the 12-hour legal deadline.

Toronto Parking Authority hasn't cleared Bleeker Street 24 hours after the snowfall contrary to Toronto City By-Law.
Title: Bleecker Street, next to TPA Old Cabbagetown Parking lot a skating rink 11 a.m. January 2, 2008 - nearly 24 hours after final snow fall

For the January 2008 snowstorm, The Toronto Tribune made a point of visiting several parking lots to check if this was common practice for the TPA. It was. Of all the TPA parking lots we visited the only ones that were cleared were on main streets where it was obvious the City had cleared the entire street. The Sherbourne Parking Lot, across from the Phoenix, was cleared only on the Sherbourne side. The Bleecker Street side was a mess of ice and slush. A longtime High Park area resident has complained to The Toronto Tribune that the parking lot at Pacific and Dundas West is never cleared and was not done at all in December 2007.

Kyle Rae and Michael Feldman are on the TPA board, a city corporation that fails to clear it's ice 12 hours after snowfall contrary to Toronto city By-law.
Title: Bleecker Street, next to TPA Old Cabbagetown Parking lot an icefield 11 a.m. January 2, 2008 - nearly 24 hours after final snow fall

January 3rd, 2008 parking lot at Yonge & Maitland photographed more than 43 hours after final snowfall. Sidewalk next to Toronto Parking Authority Parking Lot has yet to be cleared.
Title: January 3rd, 2008 parking lot at Yonge & Maitland photographed more than 43 hours after final snowfall. Sidewalk next to Toronto Parking Authority Parking Lot has yet to be cleared

Here are a list of some of the other parking lots whose sidewalks were not cleared within 12 hours of the January snowstorm

  • Charles and Yonge
  • Parking Lot across from ACC
  • Danforth area Parking Lots
  • Maitland South of Wellesley
  • Chester Subway Parking Lot
  • Pape Parking Lot
  • Eglinton and Avenue Road Area Parking Lot

The Toronto Tribune photographed the Sherbourne parking lot at 11 a.m. on January 2, 2008. That was nearly 24 hours after the final snow fell on January 1st. The Bleeker Street side should have been cleared 12 hours earlier. It hadn't been touched. This costs extra money. Instead of clearing it within twelve hours the usual practice is to have a crew salt the sidewalk to break up the ice, environmentally unfriendly to say the least. Then the crew has to return to clear the ice. That means it's takes twice as long to do what should, by city by-law, be completed within 12 hours.

The Toronto Tribune contacted the TPA, Kyle Rae and Michael Feldman to find out why the TPA continually ignores the city of Toronto by-law. Kyle Rae didn't return our calls. Michael Feldman was out of the country and unable to return our calls. The TPA cleared Bleeker Street of ice, AFTER our complaint. All were told that numerous TPA parking lots were not cleared of ice more than 12 hours after the final snowfall but we provided one specific example, the Sherbourne/Bleeker Street parking lot. Granted the actual parking lots were usually done it was the side streets that the TPA neglected to clear, contrary to the Toronto city by-law.

The TPA, helpfully, publishes minutes of their meetings online. Knowing winter was coming surely ice clearing would be mentioned in the December board minutes, right? Wrong! Toronto residents who had to slip and slide their way along TPA sidewalks can be heart warmed to learn Kyle Rae moved a motion that TPA's contribution to Bike Week 2009 be increased $5,000 to $20,000 and to update their budget to reflect this change. The motion carried. Perhaps that 5K ought to be spent adhering to Toronto city by-laws.

Toronto Parking Authority hasn't cleared Yonge and Isabella Side Streets next to their Parking by January 3, 2008
Title: Toronto Parking Authority hasn't cleared Yonge and Isabella Side Streets next to their Parking by January 3, 2008

If that's not bad enough Kyle and Michael can look forward to a dinner costing $12,000.00 to be held at the Toronto Intercontinental (Bloor Street) Hotel on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 according to the October's minutes for the TPA Board, both councilors attended that board meeting. The $12,000 comes right out of the TPA's budget. Snow and ice aren't mentioned in October's minutes. Sounds to us like the money for snow and ice removal is available it's just spent on one single meal and sponsorship for Bike Week. Guess they had to find the money for the $12,000 meal somewhere in the TPA budget. One would think that following the city's by-laws would be more important for these two city councilors, neither of whom would suffer starvation should the $12,000 dinner be cancelled.

Other Torontonians, unlike Kyle Rae and Michael Feldman, must adhere to the Toronto City Clear Your Ice Bylaw, aware there is a fine of $105 for non-compliance. All anyone has to do, after the 12 hour deadline has passed, is call 416-392-7768 and make a complaint to the city against those who fail to follow this bylaw.

Toronto Parking Authority hasn't cleared Bay Lakshore Parking Lot side street across from ACC on January 3, 2008
Title: Bay Lakeshore Parking Lot Side Streets uncleared on January 3rd

Kyle and Michael: Be Nice. Clear YOUR Ice.

The Toronto Parking Authority

www.greenp.com/tpa/index.jsp

Michael Feldman's Email

Kyle Rae's Email

All Images © The Toronto Tribune

© 2008 The Toronto Tribune, All Rights Reserved.