Closing streets presents confusion for police and public
Ticket issued to car with sticker for parking in disabled zone
There is plenty of confusion in Charlottetown over closing streets and the effect on disabled parking. This week and last people with disabled stickers were being ticketed or chased off Victoria Row near the entrance to Confederation Centre.
City Councilor Rob Lantz says that shouldn’t be happening. He is working on a solution with City Police. Lantz is a refreshing voice of reason in a City riddled with bigotry and prejudice.
On Tuesday a senior who could barely walk was told to get her car out of the disabled zone by City Police. Several vans and trucks parked up and down the street doing deliveries. A half ton truck drove the wrong way up the street. Commercial vehicles have no need but apparently are more important than the disabled.
I got ticketed but I have no intention of paying it. The City has no authority to remove disabled parking in Charlottetown. Clifford Lee tried to do that almost 20 years ago on Pownal Street with the Residential Parking bylaw. Bylaw or not, the Court struck down the law and the tickets. The Mayor’s disdain for the disabled is still in evidence.
It may be a tempest in a teapot. On Tuesday evening a car with a disabled sticker was parked on Victoria Row while the occupants went into the theatre. A patrol car on Sydney and Queen Streets ignored them.
Most of the complaints come from merchants who call the police. Apparently some people don’t believe the disabled should be parking, or should have accessible parking. Other stores like Sobeys, Save Easy, Wal-Mart and Home Depot cater to people with disabilities and provide multiple disabled spaces. If the businesses in downtown Charlottetown wonder why they are going out of business they might give their human rights agenda a check up. People with disabilities and their families represent more than 30% of consumers on PEI.
Notwithstanding local bigotry, people with disabilities have a legal right to parking within 50 meters of a store or building. That’s the law across Canada and in Charlottetown.
When you look at the block around the Confederation Centre, how do they get away with one or two disabled parking spots for a theatre that seats 1,100 people?
Why does the Confederation Court Mall have only one entrance in four that is accessible and the disabled parking is not located next to the door?
How does Lot 30 Restaurant get a building permit and then another one without making their entrance accessible?
How does UPEI remove accessible parking but get a disability award from the mayor?
How does the main Post Office in Charlottetown get away with no accessible parking?
Year in year out we continue to fight these battles.When you bring any of these issues up, the City acts like you are being rude. The Post Office told me off when I mentioned it.
The City ought to adopt a disability lens and start looking at making Charlottetown accessible. It’s not likely to happen when the Mayor has a 20 year history of disability bigotry.
The PEI Council of Persons with Disabilities is paid to look after this. They ought to get off their collective arses and start advocating.
Related story – New car-free street suggested for Charlottetown
Postscript – several people who use wheelchairs told me they were harassed by police last year on Victoria Row. I had spoken last year and the year before to Richard Collins, deputy police chief and he assured me the disabled parking was OK on Victoria Row. Apparently some business owners are putting heat on the police this year. Interesting that law and human rights takes a back seat to petty bourgeois business interests.
SemiAble
Cliff may be a little more attentive as this is an election year. Brownie will no doubt be able to talk a good disability book tho the family record on election talk follow-through once elected leaves a fair bit to be desired.
itsaclosedstreet
I for one do not like seeing people drive up Victoria road while i eat. its a closed street and there are children playing in the water spout. you are potentially endangering there lives.
My mother is disabled and abides by the rules by parking in nearby disabled parking places on queen, lower richmond or great george st.
once again its a closed street. what part of that do you not understand?
Stephen Pate
Thanks for your comment. Richmond Street is closed to normal traffic; however, it is not closed to trucks, which drive up the street whenever they wish. It is not closed to people with disabilities nor is it closed to musicians or others delivering “stuff” on the street.
I’m sure that everyone who does drive on the street knows there are children playing and pedestrians and takes extra precautions to ensure their safety.
Which is more dangerous or offensive to you – people with disabilities who need to park in the one disabled zone or the Fedex truck? Perhaps the Confed Centre truck appeals to you more?
As for disabled parking, there is not enough disabled parking near the Confed Center under any circumstances. For an 1,100 seat theatre, there should be approximately 2% of all parking within 50 meters of the door designated as disabled, or 11-15 spaces. There currently are 3 – one on Richmond and two at the corner of Queen and Grafton.
Cheers