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+--- Thread: Grand River Transit (/showthread.php?tid=13)
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RE: Grand River Transit - tomh009 - 02-18-2016
(02-17-2016, 11:52 PM)Pheidippides Wrote:(02-17-2016, 10:07 AM)tomh009 Wrote: I don't think they do. In fact, I don't know of any local tech company that does. (And, yes, I know that CRA considers it a taxable benefit, but I would be compliance on that is very low. And CRA will first go after such benefits in Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver where parking could cost $500+ per month.)
Actually the CRA has gone after the benefit locally, it went after the Region of Waterloo. I think it owed upwards of $800,000 for a three year period the CRA audited.
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalGovernment/resources/FA120619.pdf#page=34
"The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) undertook an income and expense audit of the Region of Waterloo in 2007-2008 and determined that there was a taxable benefit for employer provided parking at six locations. The CRA determined that there was a fair market value (FMV) for parking at several Regional locations in Kitchener, including 150 Frederick Street, 235 King Street, 50 and 77 Queen Street, at 99 Regina Street in Waterloo and at the Region of Waterloo International Airport."
Yes, CRA is doing selective enforcement, going after large employers with many employees in locations where parking is typically not free. All those locations have pay parking available, so it's easy for CRA to say that there is a taxable benefit. On the other hand, at BlackBerry HQ (near RIM Park), for example, there is only free parking, no paid parking, so even though there are a lot of employees, the fair market value of a parking spot is much more difficult to establish.
RE: Grand River Transit - Viewfromthe42 - 02-18-2016
(02-18-2016, 10:52 AM)tomh009 Wrote:(02-17-2016, 11:52 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: Actually the CRA has gone after the benefit locally, it went after the Region of Waterloo. I think it owed upwards of $800,000 for a three year period the CRA audited.
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalGovernment/resources/FA120619.pdf#page=34
"The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) undertook an income and expense audit of the Region of Waterloo in 2007-2008 and determined that there was a taxable benefit for employer provided parking at six locations. The CRA determined that there was a fair market value (FMV) for parking at several Regional locations in Kitchener, including 150 Frederick Street, 235 King Street, 50 and 77 Queen Street, at 99 Regina Street in Waterloo and at the Region of Waterloo International Airport."
Yes, CRA is doing selective enforcement, going after large employers with many employees in locations where parking is typically not free. All those locations have pay parking available, so it's easy for CRA to say that there is a taxable benefit. On the other hand, at BlackBerry HQ (near RIM Park), for example, there is only free parking, no paid parking, so even though there are a lot of employees, the fair market value of a parking spot is much more difficult to establish.
Compare that to my north waterloo employer. We pay to lease unused parking from multiple adjacent businesses in order to let employees park (at no direct cost to them). If you bike, we did buy a bike rack. If you take transit, well, you take transit.
RE: Grand River Transit - MidTowner - 02-18-2016
In the case of RIM, if parking is provided for free to others, it’s not a taxable benefit. Are there restrictions in that lot? I think that, even if it’s just visitors who are given free parking, it’s not considered to be a taxable benefit to employees. If your employer is located in an industrial park and the park isn’t attempting to dissuade visitors or members of the public from parking there (even if those people are just hypothetical), the parking you get as an employee is not a taxable benefit.
In Viewfromthe42’s case, it seems like it maybe should be. Maybe report your employer to CRA’s snitch line? (Just kidding)
RE: Grand River Transit - Viewfromthe42 - 02-18-2016
(02-18-2016, 11:25 AM)MidTowner Wrote: In the case of RIM, if parking is provided for free to others, it’s not a taxable benefit. Are there restrictions in that lot? I think that, even if it’s just visitors who are given free parking, it’s not considered to be a taxable benefit to employees. If your employer is located in an industrial park and the park isn’t attempting to dissuade visitors or members of the public from parking there (even if those people are just hypothetical), the parking you get as an employee is not a taxable benefit.
In Viewfromthe42’s case, it seems like it maybe should be. Maybe report your employer to CRA’s snitch line? (Just kidding)
Considering the way BlackBerry purportedly policed parking in the Philip lots (albeit next to a big draw in UW), I can't imagine it's a free-for-all at RIM Park, either.
RE: Grand River Transit - tomh009 - 02-18-2016
No, but fair market value is still harder to establish than in a location where paid parking is available.
RE: Grand River Transit - Pheidippides - 02-20-2016
A clear timeline about CST from the transit hub update to planning and works next week:
"GRT plans to reconfigure its bus network around ION and phase out the Charles Street Terminal by 2019."
RE: Grand River Transit - tomh009 - 02-20-2016
(02-20-2016, 12:12 AM)Pheidippides Wrote: A clear timeline about CST from the transit hub update to planning and works next week:
"GRT plans to reconfigure its bus network around ION and phase out the Charles Street Terminal by 2019."
Excellent! That will be a super-premium development opportunity once the terminal has been closed, being next to an ION station, across the street from Victoria Park, and very much in the downtown core.
RE: Grand River Transit - clasher - 02-20-2016
(02-20-2016, 12:03 PM)tomh009 Wrote:(02-20-2016, 12:12 AM)Pheidippides Wrote: A clear timeline about CST from the transit hub update to planning and works next week:
"GRT plans to reconfigure its bus network around ION and phase out the Charles Street Terminal by 2019."
Excellent! That will be a super-premium development opportunity once the terminal has been closed, being next to an ION station, across the street from Victoria Park, and very much in the downtown core.
Yeah, it will really change the whole neighbourhood without so many buses passing through, I wonder how much different the bus system will really be after the move... exciting times!
RE: Grand River Transit - MidTowner - 02-21-2016
(02-20-2016, 12:12 AM)Pheidippides Wrote: A clear timeline about CST from the transit hub update to planning and works next week:
"GRT plans to reconfigure its bus network around ION and phase out the Charles Street Terminal by 2019."
Meaning the King and Victoria station will be up and running by then? That doesn't seem too likely.
Very exciting to get a date on the disuse of the Charles Street terminal. I bet the changes to the bus network will have to be pretty significant- nearly every Ion station should have at least one feeder route to it, that would mean big changes.
RE: Grand River Transit - BuildingScout - 02-21-2016
(02-21-2016, 01:37 PM)MidTowner Wrote: Meaning the King and Victoria station will be up and running by then? That doesn't seem too likely.
It depends if it gets built in normal time or RoW construction time. One year planning and two years construction should normally be more than enough for a project this size. .
RE: Grand River Transit - tomh009 - 02-21-2016
(02-21-2016, 02:26 PM)BuildingScout Wrote:(02-21-2016, 01:37 PM)MidTowner Wrote: Meaning the King and Victoria station will be up and running by then? That doesn't seem too likely.
It depends if it gets built in normal time or RoW construction time. One year planning and two years construction should normally be more than enough for a project this size. .
That's right. Three and a half years from now, it should be quite possible to have the station operational, even if some of the other parts of the complex are still under construction. But this really depends on when they get the project started.
RE: Grand River Transit - Smore - 02-21-2016
I hope they consider that getting permits for work along the tracks might take time and could result in a delay in the project...
RE: Grand River Transit - GtwoK - 02-21-2016
(02-21-2016, 05:18 PM)Smore Wrote: I hope they consider that getting permits for work along the tracks might take time and could result in a delay in the project...
They could always just build a temporary dome station!
RE: Grand River Transit - MidTowner - 02-21-2016
(02-21-2016, 02:26 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: [quote='MidTowner' pid='17698' dateline='1456076226']
It depends if it gets built in normal time or RoW construction time. One year planning and two years construction should normally be more than enough for a project this size. .
Three years? I can't see it happening somehow. What's the latest timeline on the RFP?
RE: Grand River Transit - MacBerry - 02-22-2016
(02-21-2016, 05:58 PM)GtwoK Wrote:(02-21-2016, 05:18 PM)Smore Wrote: I hope they consider that getting permits for work along the tracks might take time and could result in a delay in the project...
They could always just build a temporary dome station!
Move that DOME! Move that DOME! Move that DOME!