Parking in Toronto only seems to be getting more expensive and harder to find as the city grows, but a fancy — and kind of fun — new form of car storage may be on the way in the near future.

Vertical parking solutions popularized in cities like New York have never really been a thing in T.O., but companies that specialize in these designs have been trying to change that.

Not everyone is happy about Toronto's plan to redevelop hundreds of parking lots https://t.co/GLTLKn6AuC

— blogTO (@blogTO) March 12, 2024

The latest is Curban Boundaries, which offers, among other things, a sort of Ferris wheel for cars that optimizes space in tight urban areas like our downtown core.

City Hall Watcher newsletter creator Matt Elliott wrote in his latest issue that the brand recently registered to pitch its tech to the City. While nothing has come of it yet, he notes that the concept could be "right up Premier Doug Ford's alley."

For those who may feel a little uneasy about their vehicle taking a ride many storeys into the air, the firm assures on its very rudimentary website that the metal structures are safe and secure, controlled by an integrated computer system that brings your ride back down to earth in less than two minutes once you're ready to leave.

Parking lot that makes Toronto over $1 million per year to be replaced by park https://t.co/T7qpghLVVv

— blogTO (@blogTO) April 6, 2024

As existing parking real estate is converted into condos, affordable housing, bike lanes, and more, the idea isn't an awful one and could certainly be something to consider — because even as we move away from car-centric infrastructure, some people in the GTA will always choose to drive.