A Toronto parks department worker rolls up on Queens Quay in a black Dodge Dakota and parks directly in front of a no-parking sign, blocking a lane of traffic. Five minutes later, he emerges from Starbucks with his first caffeine fix of the day.

“I stopped for a coffee. It’s not a good excuse,” he admits when approached by the Star. “I feel so guilty now.”

If Councillor Josh Matlow has his way, that worker and others like him will be towed and slapped with a $500 fine.

Matlow has prepared a motion to go to city council next month to stop “road hogs” who block a lane of traffic to run for a coffee or make a delivery. The proposal targets drivers who take up a lane, including a bike lane, of a major arterial road during the morning or afternoon rush hours.

Between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Star observed 12 drivers park their vehicles along a 20-metre stretch of Queens Quay west of York St. bookended by lamppost signs clearly stating “no parking.” The two lanes were reduced to one for westbound traffic.

In fact, it’s a common problem. Delivery trucks and other vehicles blocked lanes across the downtown core Tuesday afternoon — many stopped directly in front of “no parking” signs.

Tony Paolella, who delivers confectionaries, said he’s been ticketed up to three times in a single day for taking up a lane of traffic. At $40 to $60 a pop, he shrugs it off as the cost of doing business.

“I bring it back to the boss,” he said. “I can’t park anywhere else.”

He thinks Matlow’s proposed hike is “crazy.” The Karbro worker left his 18-wheeler truck idling for 17 minutes on Queens Quay while making a delivery.

“Five hundred dollars — who can afford that? I think it’s crazy. I’m not coming here fooling around. I’m working,” Paolella said.

City staff are allowed to cut drivers some slack on certain tickets, including senior citizens, out-of-town motorists, delivery and fast-food companies, worshippers with a letter from their religious leader, the infirm and city councillors on official business.

In 2008 and 2007, about 49,000 tickets — totalling nearly $2 million — that were issued to courier and delivery vehicles were tossed out, city figures show.

However, Matlow said he is including couriers and other delivery vehicles in his motion, aimed at alleviating gridlock and improving safety, knowing the industry will protest that quick stops are needed to keep business flowing.

His motion, he points out, is aimed only at the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., so deliveries can be made in other hours. The rights of delivery companies shouldn’t trump those of commuters, he argues.

The motion asks the city manager to work with police to improve enforcement of existing bylaws prohibiting such stops.

“For drivers, there is incredible frustration when one of two lanes is blocked by some selfish guy who thinks his coffee or his drycleaning is more important than the hundreds of drivers behind him,” Matlow said.

“If you’re a cyclist, whether there is a bike lane there or not, that road hog is forcing you to swerve out into traffic — and that is dangerous.”

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Emergency and public utility vehicles, as well as public transit and on-duty city workers, are allowed to park in a bike lane. School buses, taxis and vehicles loading or unloading a person with a disability can also stop in those areas.

Matlow said he knows his motion, seconded by Councillor Mike Layton, would almost certainly fail if put to a vote at council because his colleagues would want to ensure there are exemptions for Wheel-Trans, disabled people and others.

So he is asking for a vote to refer his motion to the public works committee to suggest modifications and come back to council with a refined plan.