Committee approves paid parking in high-demand areas on weeknights and Saturday

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee today approved updates to the Municipal Parking Management Strategy Rate Setting Guidelines to allow for expanding paid parking to evenings and Saturdays where demand is consistently high. The move aims to promote turnover during the busiest hours while also allowing for flexibility when longer stays are required at night. As part of the Municipal Parking Management Strategy rate setting guidelines, staff looked to harmonize start times for paid parking and to manage on-street parking, particularly in areas of high demand. On weekdays, where paid parking is in effect in commercial areas and there are no peak hour parking restrictions, paid parking would start at 8:30 am and finish at 5:30 pm. In areas where the demand threshold is met on weeknights, paid parking would be in effect from 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm. Where Saturday daytime paid parking is required, it would start at 10 am, and Saturday evening would align with weeknights, where the demand threshold is met. In the areas of highest demand, paid parking spots are currently in use more than 80 per cent of the time at peak periods. Evening and Saturday paid parking would be introduced in these areas, to help ensure the availability of parking. Based on collected data, weeknight evening, Saturday daytime and evening paid parking would be in effect in the following commercial zones: Little Italy South, ByWard Market and its immediate surrounding areas. Weekday evening paid parking would be added to Glebe South. Saturday daytime paid parking would be in effect Downtown (north of Nepean Street), although it would not be in effect during evenings. The pending paid parking areas from the approved Kitchissippi Parking Study would see weekday evening and Saturday daytime paid parking in Richmond West, while Churchill, Wellington Village and Hintonburg would only see Saturday daytime paid parking. Staff will conduct annual reviews of evening and weekend rates to identify the need for changes to parking zones. The Committee also received the 2024 Parking Services Annual Report. It summarizes the work done in 2024 in support of the Municipal Parking Management Strategy, including the introduction of secure bike parking at three different locations. Revenue was reinvested in lifecycle requirements, anticipated expansions to electric vehicle charging, parking studies and parking facilities. All told, the City manages 3,725 paid on-street parking spaces, 2,750 off-street spaces in five parking structures and 11 surface parking lots. It also manages 5,831 bike parking spaces. Items considered at this meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, May 28. Related topics

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