FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Ward 6 candidate Mike Bloxam proposes changes to overnight parking
When August ended, so did your right to park overnight on city streets for another year. That’s a pain, especially for those who hosted overnight guests during Thanksgiving weekend.
It doesn’t have to be that way, says one candidate for city council in Ward 6. Ending the parking ban that runs from 3 AM until 5 AM for most of the year could actually increase road safety according to Mike Bloxam.
“We spend a lot of effort educating people not to drive when you’ve been drinking, not to drive when you’re exhausted. One of the things we can do to discourage people from getting behind the wheel is to remove that fear of a parking ticket,” Bloxam said. “It also means people will have one less thing to worry about when friends and relatives visit.”
That doesn’t mean it’s a parking free-for-all, Bloxam explained.
“Of course we need the streets clear when snow plows are coming through. We also don’t want to see people owning more vehicles than their home can support with parking spaces; however, some other jurisdictions have creative solutions for overnight parking that I’d like to see London consider.”
For example, overnight parking on the street could be allowed except when the forecast says a significant snow event is on the way. Then, all cars would have to be off the street for 24 hours. The City of Kitchener uses this approach. While overnight parking is more relaxed, any vehicle impeding a snow plow can be towed.
Another approach is to keep the ban on overnight parking, but give residents a batch of exemptions (the City of Waterloo allows 15) they can use at any time throughout the year. Vehicle owners would register the licence plate online, via a smart phone app, or by phone the night they plan to park to receive an exemption. This approach allows overnight visitors without much hassle. The City of London is currently considering this, but it will be up to the next council to enact such an initiative.
“If elected, I’d ask city staff to take a good hard look at these programs and how they could be implemented in London,” Bloxam said. “If we’re asking people to accept something that’s inconvenient, it should be for a good reason. In this case, I think there are better alternatives.”
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Mike Bloxam is running to be your next councillor for Ward 6 in London, Ontario. He aspires for a better London that is an ideal place to live, work, play, and stay.
Campaign hotline: 519-518-2273 | E-mail: mike@bloxam.ca | Web site: www.bloxam.ca | Twitter: @Mike_Bloxam
About Mike Bloxam:
Ø Mike Bloxam is a born-and-raised Londoner running to be the next councillor for Ward 6.
Ø He is the owner of a small business – Sun Tap Technologies – and serves on City Hall’s Advisory Committee on the Environment.
Ø Bloxam has proposed several other ideas that are resonating with Londoners:
Ø Bloxam’s platform includes further proposals to increase integrity, prosperity, and sustainability in London The full platform can be found at www.bloxam.ca/platform
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