11:00
Read the following message
Dear Parking Services Team,
I’m writing about the West End Residential Parking Pilot announced on September 28 for Zone W-13, scheduled from October 15 to December 31. The notice on our block states that each household may register one resident vehicle and obtain up to two digital guest e-permits per month. Guest permits can only be purchased through the mobile app; the phone line will take exception requests on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Evening guest parking is $4 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; overnight is $8 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. On-street resident parking for a second household vehicle is not permitted except on weekends. Enforcement begins at 6:30 p.m.
I understand the goals—reduce cruising, keep curb space available, and align payment with use. However, the combination of a strict two-permit limit and app-only purchases may unintentionally exclude visitors who come regularly for caregiving or shift work. My mother-in-law visits twice a week to help with childcare; our neighbour, Mr. Lam, receives a home-care nurse three evenings a week; and a night-shift friend often arrives around 11:10 p.m. after closing at the hotel. Most of our guests arrive between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. If a caregiver’s phone dies or a card fails, they must call during the 10:00–2:00 window on a weekday—which is impossible in the evening. Officers check plates and, if a valid permit isn’t found, they place a warning on the windshield. They’ll then issue a $50 ticket on the next pass. This combination nudges people to risk fines or skip essential visits.
I’m not criticizing the pilot; I’m asking that it measure the right outcomes and protect essential trips. Could the monthly guest limit increase to six, with unused guest permits allowed to roll over into the next month? A web portal and a small kiosk at the community centre would help visitors without smartphones, and paper scratch-cards (sold at the desk) could serve as a simple fallback during outages. Extending the phone support to 7:00 p.m. and adding a 15-minute grace period after 6:30 p.m. would prevent accidental tickets while people park and pay. Finally, a caregiver exemption—verified by a brief letter from a clinic or a signed declaration—would keep medical or childcare visits predictable without opening the door to abuse.
Thank you for considering adjustments that keep streets orderly while ensuring that caregiving, health, and late-shift visits remain feasible for residents.
Sincerely,
Aditya Rao
Apartment 2C, 1180 Haro Street
I’m writing about the West End Residential Parking Pilot announced on September 28 for Zone W-13, scheduled from October 15 to December 31. The notice on our block states that each household may register one resident vehicle and obtain up to two digital guest e-permits per month. Guest permits can only be purchased through the mobile app; the phone line will take exception requests on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Evening guest parking is $4 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; overnight is $8 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. On-street resident parking for a second household vehicle is not permitted except on weekends. Enforcement begins at 6:30 p.m.
I understand the goals—reduce cruising, keep curb space available, and align payment with use. However, the combination of a strict two-permit limit and app-only purchases may unintentionally exclude visitors who come regularly for caregiving or shift work. My mother-in-law visits twice a week to help with childcare; our neighbour, Mr. Lam, receives a home-care nurse three evenings a week; and a night-shift friend often arrives around 11:10 p.m. after closing at the hotel. Most of our guests arrive between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. If a caregiver’s phone dies or a card fails, they must call during the 10:00–2:00 window on a weekday—which is impossible in the evening. Officers check plates and, if a valid permit isn’t found, they place a warning on the windshield. They’ll then issue a $50 ticket on the next pass. This combination nudges people to risk fines or skip essential visits.
I’m not criticizing the pilot; I’m asking that it measure the right outcomes and protect essential trips. Could the monthly guest limit increase to six, with unused guest permits allowed to roll over into the next month? A web portal and a small kiosk at the community centre would help visitors without smartphones, and paper scratch-cards (sold at the desk) could serve as a simple fallback during outages. Extending the phone support to 7:00 p.m. and adding a 15-minute grace period after 6:30 p.m. would prevent accidental tickets while people park and pay. Finally, a caregiver exemption—verified by a brief letter from a clinic or a signed declaration—would keep medical or childcare visits predictable without opening the door to abuse.
Thank you for considering adjustments that keep streets orderly while ensuring that caregiving, health, and late-shift visits remain feasible for residents.
Sincerely,
Aditya Rao
Apartment 2C, 1180 Haro Street
Choose the best option according to the information given in the message:
1. What is the main purpose of Aditya’s message?
2. According to the notice, how many digital guest e-permits can a household obtain per month?
3. Why might evening visitors struggle to obtain a valid permit?
4. In the sentence, “They’ll then issue a $50 ticket on the next pass,” the pronoun “They” refers to …
5. As used in the email, the phrase “roll over” most nearly means …
6. Which option best describes the tone of Aditya’s email?
Here is a response to the message. Complete the response by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down
Dear Mr. Rao,
Thank you for 7.... on the Zone W-13 pilot. Your letter shows how a strict monthly limit and app-only purchasing 8.... evening caregivers and night-shift visitors. Our early counts indicate demand 9...., particularly between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. In response, we will raise the guest-permit cap to five per month, launch a web portal and a community-centre kiosk, extend phone support to 7:00 p.m., and implement a 15-minute grace period after 6:30 p.m. We will also create a simple caregiver exemption with documentation. These steps 10.... our objective of keeping streets orderly while maintaining access for essential visits.
We appreciate your constructive suggestions and invite you to a short information session next Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Clearly, 11....—safe, fair parking that works for residents and their visitors.
Respectfully,
Lena Chow
Manager, Parking Services