Re. How many parking apps does Vancouver need?

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Thanks to Dan Furmano and The Sun for bringing up the parking issue, which will be a major irritant when the city does away with coin meters.

I have no objection paying for parking, but I don’t have a phone. I carry a roll of coins in the car to feed the meters or use a credit card, both options easy to deal with.

But I seriously object to the city high-handedly deciding to subject me to yet another pain-in-the-butt obligation that we now find, thanks to you, is fraught with inconsistency and confusion.

In Kerrisdale, where I do most of my parking, the meters have recently been converted to pay-by-phone with coin option, which is just fine, when you can find a spot to park. So I am wondering, are those new meters going to be withdrawn and discarded under the new policy at a waste of time and money for their recent replacement?

I asked EasyPark, but did not even get a response.

We went through this hoo-rah some weeks ago when meters were installed at Kerrisdale Community Centre. Trouble was, they were so awkward and difficult to use I received a warning ticket from EasyPark while I was inside struggling with the technology. There was sufficient backlash from the community that a simple system was quickly put in place.

This whole nightmare must be placed on hold until a consistent, convenient, city-wide system is put in place for all users.

Larry Emrick, Vancouver

Apps even more of a hassle for tourists

If you think that the number of parking apps is a hassle for Vancouverites, think about how tourists and out-of-towners feel. I live in Kelowna and the last time I was in Vancouver I saw three different parking apps were required at public places. No way am I downloading three apps that I might only use once and include my banking info to pay. I just went somewhere else.

Gord Walter, Kelowna

No parking app, no parking?

Re. How many parking apps does Vancouver need?

And what about the luddites like me who refuse to get a cellphone? There is nothing I hate worse on the trail than someone’s cellphone going off — not to mention the addicted younger generation blundering into you on the sidewalk, with nose in phone.

Lesley Bohm, Vancouver

Metro Vancouver reform misses the point

Re. Metro Vancouver considers changes to size and structure of board

Juggling numbers of Metro Vancouver’s board is missing the point of needed reform. It’s not about representation, it’s about responsibility.

The present board has shelved any public accountability for the North Shore sewage plant debacle, so we have no assurance of ever learning what incompetence and mismanagement led to 30 years of punitive charges for a narrow segment of the region’s population.

Future boards may seat nine or 99 — it makes no difference if they run away from their own failures.

Garry Fletcher, North Vancouver 

Look at the number of directors for other regional boards

We need many changes to the 1967 Regional District legislation. The number of directors needs to be looked at in other regional districts. Here are the numbers for the top-nine regional districts: Metro Vancouver: 41; Thompson-Nicola: 27; Island Trust: 26; Capital: 24; Fraser Valley: 24; Okanagan-Similkameen: 21; Central Kootenay: 20; Nanaimo: 19; Cowichan Valley: 16. With Metro Vancouver population being the largest at 3.2 million, the number of directors is not out of line compared to the other regional districts in B.C.

Nathan Davidowicz

EDRs in vehicles capture data before an impact

Re. Letter: Black boxes should be required for every vehicle on the road

A “black box” — called an event data recorder (EDR) — has been installed on virtually all cars and light-duty trucks sold in Canada since September 2014, when CMVSS 160 was implemented. Leading up to an impact, the EDR typically captures five to 30 seconds of the following data: vehicle speed; throttle position (how far the accelerator pedal was pressed); brake status; engine RPM; steering input (the angle of the steering wheel); safety systems (whether seatbelts were buckled and if/when airbags deployed); force of impact (the “Delta-V” or change in velocity during the crash.

Large commercial trucks are often equipped with electronic control modules that perform similar functions. Motorcycles are not required to have an EDR.

Data stored on an EDR is considered the property of the vehicle owner. Police or insurance companies usually require a warrant or the owner’s explicit consent to download and use the data in legal proceedings.

David Purser, Surrey