Vaughan subway station site missing 'proper signage' for parking, driver argues

According to the city of Vaughan, 271 tickets for no-stopping and illegally parking have been issued since the subway opened.

Thestar.com
Feb. 2, 2018
By Tim Kelly

All Wayne Samuels wanted to do was drop off his wife at the new Vaughan subway station and get on his way.

Not so fast.

Before he could drive away after a minute or so, two city of Vaughan bylaw officers handed him a $40 ticket, he said.

"They don't have the proper signage there. I said to them (bylaw officers), 'Where's the sign that says you can't stop there?' And he pointed way back toward the intersection. I said, 'I'm making a left turn. I'm watching for traffic and pedestrians and there's no way I'm going to notice a sign that says you can't stop in front of the main subway building,' " said a frustrated Samuels, 50.

What really bothers him is the notion that bylaw officers watched him stop, knowing they would ticket him and didn't just tap on his window and tell him to move along instead of fining him.

"They literally watched me stop, made sure it was safe enough so that they could step in front of the vehicle and behind, and gave me a ticket," he said.

For Samuels, it's simple: He believes there needs to clearer signage along Millway Ave. and an area that points drivers to the pickup and drop-off areas.

"Are you supposed to drive by the subway on Millway and push the person out and they're rolling on the ground and then picking up their stuff at 8 a.m.?"

According to the city of Vaughan, 271 tickets for no-stopping and illegally parking have been issued since the subway opened on Dec. 17.

In an emailed statement, Carmela Antolino, a spokesperson for the city of Vaughan, noted "the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) sees close to 5,000 vehicles a day. Since the subway opened in December, there have been more than 150,000 vehicles travelling through the area."

The tickets are for a variety of infractions, ranging from "no stopping" to "illegally parking."

There are designated drop-off and pickup locations on New Park Pl. and Millway Ave. where drivers are allowed to stop for up to 10 minutes, but they are not located immediately adjacent to the subway station off Hwy. 7. There is also paid parking that drivers can access near the subway station.