Toronto police officers and City staff are beginning a two-week enforcement blitz of downtown no-stopping zones as part of an effort to address traffic congestion.
According to a City of Toronto statement, the blitz will occur every day between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. starting on Monday and it will last until June 27.
The statement said Toronto parking enforcement officers will be “strategically deployed along high-traffic corridors” throughout downtown to address instances where “vehicles obstruct the safe and efficient movement of traffic.”
Past enforcement blitzes involved a surge of parking officers on patrol with tow trucks being brought in to clear parked vehicles on major streets.
So what constitutes a no-stopping zone?
The statement defined the zones as “on-street areas where motorists are prohibited from stopping for any reason except to avoid conflict with other traffic or to comply with a police officer or traffic control signals.”
It added that the zones include “key downtown corridors, areas near bus and streetcar stops, pedestrian crosswalks and fire hydrants.” Other examples can be found here.
According to the bylaws, parking enforcement and police officers can issue a fine by putting the ticket on the vehicle or it can be sent through the mail if someone drives off as the ticket is being written. The tickets do not result in losing demerit points and don’t go on a driver’s record.
In mid-2024, Toronto city council hiked fines for various parking and stopping offences. For instance, stopping or standing in a signed area during rush hour could result in a $190 fine. Click here for a list of updated fines for various offences.
Also as part of the ongoing fight to lower congestion and traffic delays, council increased fines for stopping in intersections (known as “blocking the box”) to $450.
Meanwhile, a second no-stopping enforcement blitz is set to be held again before the end of September.
