Toronto's $358,000 Parking Spot

Yesterday, the City of Toronto released their 2015 parking ticket dataset detailing raw information on every parking ticket issued last year in the city. Inspired by the fantastic I Quant NY blog, I started exploring the data to search for interesting trends. I also used the 2013 and 2014 datasets to compare results year over year.

I decided to start by looking into the tickets issued for the city’s max fine of $450. These tickets are given for several variations of parking illegally in a handicapped zone. Some of the most frequently cited addresses make intuitive sense: 555 Rexdale Blvd (Woodbine), 1090 Don Mills Rd (Shops at Don Mills) and 3401 Dufferin St (Yorkdale). All are large crowded areas where drivers might try to get away with parking in handicapped spots.

But, most of the city’s biggest cash cows are more obscure spots that have consistently flummoxed Toronto drivers. Toronto’s undisputed king of max fine parking tickets, doubling any other address in the city, is 410 College St. In 2015 alone, 796 tickets were issued for a total of $358,200. This is not a one year aberration. The spot generated $401,850 in 2014 and $291,150 in 2013. It is tough to tell, but you can judge what is causing the issue for yourself with the Google Street View image below (in which a likely victim is parked in the spot).

410 College St

No other address in Toronto is as consistent a revenue producer as 410 College, but there are several other spots that seem to be a lock every year for $100,000+ in max fine ticket revenue. 18 Grenville St seems like another awkward place for a handicapped designation. In 2015 the spot averaged close to a max fine a day, 342 tickets for $153,900. Each of the last three years max fines at 18 Grenville have topped $145,000.

18 Grenville St

Another Google Street View image with a likely victim in the still shot. This is across the street from 35 Balmuto just outside an eastside exit from the Manulife Center. This spot has topped $100,000 in fines the last three years with 2015 seeing 326 tickets for $146,700.

35 Balmuto St

The last of Toronto’s prolific max fine spots, 60 Murray St just west of Mount Sinai hospital. In 2015 this spot produced 287 tickets for $129,150, its lowest total of the last three years.

60 Murray St

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