VISION Council ideology trumps logic regarding parking in Vancouver



Tow trucks respond to Vision council's orders for parking enforcement targeting motorcycles.

This is the unedited version of an oped piece I wrote for The Province which was published

May 22, 2012.

 

Vancouver’s VISION dominated council dealt a regressive blow to Vancouver motorcyclists on May 16th. They ignored staff recommendations and the needs of motorcyclists when they, led by City Councillor Heather Deal, produced and approved a motion instructing city staff to retain high and discriminatory pricing for motorcycle parking in Vancouver, and to immediately step up parking enforcement against motorcyclists.

It is apparent to anybody familiar with the issue, that some councillors are not only ignorant of the plight of motorcycle riders, but their motions are guided by a rigid ideology, one that is fixated on only supporting pedestrians and bicycles at all costs, preventing them from seeing the forest for the trees. In the case of VISION, the need to pursue the ideology resulted in dismissive and undemocratic behaviour on that day; and the shame of it is that it does nothing to help the pursuit of their green agenda.

The movement of all mass requires energy and the heavier the mass to move, the more energy is required.  Therefore the key to reducing energy consumption, and emissions, is to reduce the weight and size of mass; that is if you’re serious about your commitment to becoming “the world’s greenest city”. The logical extension of that thinking then, would mean that a reduction in vehicle size would reduce both fuel consumption and emissions.

Six to ten scooters / motorcycles can fit in the space of an automobile and they generally weigh between one tenth and one half the weight of the ubiquitous ultra light Smart Car. Many more people can be carried, using less road space than cars on motorized two wheelers.  The latter was seemingly lost on, or of no interest to Councillor Deal, on that May afternoon, when she showed up to the meeting with a new motion to say that two-wheeled commuters should pay the same as automobiles, and they should be happy to receive a 50% “deep discount” when using pay by phone. Further, she commented that often it’s difficult to find parking for bicycles, with the implication being that it too should be difficult for motorcycles. In fact, Deal implied she knew a lot about an issue that she has refused to engage in any dialogue about for three years. She then went on the offensive, suggesting that motorcyclists are parking in bicycle parking to avoid pay parking, instead of acknowledging there is not enough motorcycle parking downtown and offering a solution.

Councillor Raymond Louie makes no secret of his priorities being for pedestrians and cyclists (presumably none of his constituents use motor vehicles), and referred to his experience as a former owner of a 30 year old two stroke motorcycle as his proof of expertise as to why he believes scooters and motorcycles are no more environmentally friendly than automobiles. He asked engineering staff how many bicycles there are, and how many bike racks there are in Vancouver, as if the answers had anything to do motorized two-wheeler parking. Then they all voted lock step for Deal’s motion, with Clrs Carr, Affleck and Ball opposing. It would have been almost funny if the consequences of their behaviour were not so unfair.

So stuck in their ideology, that they were determined to ignore what they were told as to why participation at meters was so low (because the present pricing is too high, unfair, complicated, discriminatory and punitive), and why more parking was both necessary and desirable for Vancouver; instead they issued instructions to staff that they had better ramp up their enforcement. In the absence of available parking in the downtown core, the edict seemed ignorant, divisive and mean spirited to those observing and will certainly be to those on the receiving end of her (Deal’s) instructions. Is it any wonder ordinary citizens are so cynical about civic politics?

There are cities all over the world that recognize the value of encouraging transit with smaller, lighter forms of transport and they are wise to and do provide low cost and free parking for commuter motorcycles. Vancouver’s got plenty of unused space, it’s ideally suited to accommodate motorcycle parking and it’s got the geography and climate to encourage people to lighten their mode of transit for much of the year.

Nobody is trying to reinvent the wheel with respect to motorcycle parking in Vancouver. Riders want parking where available, and pricing that is fair, competitive and reflects space required. Motorized two wheelers are a realistic immediate answer to cleaner low footprint, low impact and efficient transportation. Vancouver would do well to embrace them.