Smart-er parking enforcement in Toronto
In a pilot program to reduce its environmental (and physical) footprint on the streets of Toronto, the city's police department has added a quartet of new vehicles to its fleet. A pair of Honda Civic Hybrids are joined by a pair of smart fortwo diesels, which will be used for parking enforcement purposes in lieu of larger cars that drink more fuel and are more difficult to maneuver and park in the urban environment. The Toronto Police Services' smarts, as seen above, may well be the least intimidating police-liveried vehicles...ever. And that includes the Cushman golf carts NYPD uses (or used) in some situations.
[Source: Torontoist]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TJ 5:49PM (6/20/2007)
Well at least its a little bit better than the segway.
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remy 5:56PM (6/20/2007)
The City of Moncton in NB did the same, they bought 6 smarts!
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Will 6:41PM (6/20/2007)
Vancouver has purchased at least 14 Smart cars. On an enviro-friendly related note, you can now receive a ticket in Vancouver if your vehicle is found idling more than three minutes.
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JC3 6:45PM (6/20/2007)
Someone finally built a car for meter-maids.
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Paul Y 6:51PM (6/20/2007)
I was in Toronto on Memorial Day weekend, and saw a bunch of Fortwos, and really, they make a lot of sense in downtown areas if you must have a car (of course, being a REAL city, Toronto is actually liveable without one).
That, and they're so much more odd to see in person.
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Ca$h 7:59PM (6/20/2007)
Here in Milwaukee, cops use freaking SUVs as meter maid vehicles. Why? Nobody fucking knows. They never go offroad, they aren't 4wd, they just get crap MPG and block traffic.
I HATE THEM.
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jamesc 8:47PM (6/20/2007)
Why? Because they can. Budget + idiots = SUVS!
As for the Smarts, makes sense. It's a city. And I think a ticket is intimidating enough as it is, it doesn't matter who delivers it and with what car.
Altairian1 9:26PM (6/20/2007)
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Ez 9:36PM (6/20/2007)
All meter maids/parking enforcement should ride bicycles.
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Barney 9:38PM (6/20/2007)
At least they will be able to find a place to park it while writing tickets.
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David S. 11:01PM (6/20/2007)
Grrrrr They don't need to find anywhere to 'park', they seem to LOVE parking illegally - usually in the bike lane it seems. They should change their motto to "Do as I say, not as I do." (Wow, I sound bitter!)
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Jorge 3:08AM (6/21/2007)
they will look intimidating while they are writing a ticket for your car. lol
great news, good for the environment and good for saving some tax money.
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@! 3:27AM (6/21/2007)
"may well be the least intimidating police-liveried vehicles...ever."
This is nothing. Seattle parking cops drive three-wheelers. Here's a picture: http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/transportation/images/25enforcementvehicle.jpg
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BowserUSC 4:11AM (6/21/2007)
What about those three wheeled one person vehicles they have in NYC. I'd assume it's a comparable fuel saving considering the age of the technology and how long they've had them.
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RAMi 5:07AM (6/21/2007)
Sorry for my English, but I'm Spanish.
In Madrid (Spain) there were Smarts used for fining drivers years ago.
A year ago, more or less, they also use IR cams for registring plates.
So Toronto PD doesn't invent anything. Only copies other cities.
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km519 6:02AM (6/21/2007)
Toronto, Boo!
Madrid, Yeah!
(PS. Go Red Wings!)
RAMi 9:20AM (6/21/2007)
But not only Madrid, I think a lot of European cities use Smarts.
Calebe 7:22AM (6/21/2007)
wouldnt one of those little japanese forward control cab trucks be cheaper, way cheaper. Where are you going to haul the boots to lock the wheels in a smart? Our MM's use some kind of cushman looking thing. What ever happened to walking?
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Guenther 9:52AM (6/21/2007)
There was one SUV perfectly suited to this type of work. The 1st generation Tracker (89-98) was available as a 2wd, 2door hard-top. It was a favorite among Mall Security, if you recall. These things were cheap- $10k, sturdy and could get close to 30mpg. CNG conversions were easy, too. Would make a great EV conversion too.
km519- Go Tigers!
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Fabulo 5:08PM (6/21/2007)
The Portland OR parking enforcement rides golf cart like, 3 wheelers kind of vehicles. I have even seen some of them walk (shocker)
The city of Portland owns a few smart though, and prius and other more mundane impalas/stratus things.
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