Nothing but chaos.
That's how the city's parking services coordinator is describing the traffic situation around schools.
Bill Kralovensky says since Monday, September 18 more than 53 tickets have been handed out for traffic and parking violations.
He says the city holds an educational period for the first two weeks of the school year but has now shifted to enforcement.
"We started full blown enforcement at all our schools on a rotational basis and since that started all reports coming back from our officers is it's nothing but chaos," says Kralovensky. "We get that from our parking enforcement officers attending the schools, I also get that from my crossing guards. Apparently this year some school bus boundaries were enlarged which is giving us more kids walking to school and/or parents dropping off kids at schools. So the first part of the year has been nothing but chaos and we're seeing it all over the city."
By-law enforcement officers performing a parking blitz outside St John Vianney Elementary School, September 28th, 2016 (Photo by Arms Bumanlag)
Kralovensky says so far enforcement has been for all schools in the city but there are also complaints for certain school areas.
"We have to go on a reactionary basis from complaints that we get and we have all the usual heavy hitters, Massey, Bellewood area, Kennedy High School, McDougall and Tecumseh," says Kralovensky. "If you ever drive by there at the end of the day, it's nuts up there."
Kralovensky is asking the community to visit the city's website for parking information.
He says on the MappyMyCity website, under the tab called 'My School Neighbourhood', people can type in the school and it will show you where you can and where you cannot park around the school.