There’s currently a need to implement modernized parking management solutions at the periphery of the downtown in order to:
- increase parking use flexibility for area residents;
- create additional parking options for people working in and visiting the downtown; and,
- enable more efficient parking enforcement.
The Parking Master Plan recommends that the City “Explore Commuter Parking Zones to build some additional short-term capacity and allow time to plan for a future parking structure.”
Prior to Covid-19, the City’s off-street parking facilities had reached or were nearing capacity, and all garages and surface lots had wait lists for long-term monthly parking. As well, some Town Plat area residents have expressed a desire for greater flexibility in the use of on-street parking during weekday hours.
The changes are intended to provide more flexibility in terms of how residents can utilize on-street parking near their home and allows for the introduction of some all-day commuter parking where there is a demand for such.
Changes have been introduced to two areas of the downtown (see map)
Parking restrictions on George Street and Charlotte Street (Smythe to University, and the side streets between) changed as follows:
- The existing free 2hr maximum parking limits on Monday to Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM were removed and replaced with a time restriction of No Parking Monday to Friday between 1:30PM to ,3:00pm except with a virtual annual resident or daily permit. Parking will be allowed at no charge outside of those restricted times.
- The existing 4-hr maximum parking meters on George Street from Westmorland Street to St. John Street were removed, and those areas are now part of the on-street permit parking zone.
- The overnight parking restriction is still in effect.
- Overall, the area has been broken down into three separate parking permit zones close to the downtown core as indicated on the map.
- 2hr free maximum parking will remain adjacent to where the Lincoln Trail crosses George Street and Charlotte Street, where indicated by signage, to continue to provide recreational trail access.
- These parking locations are identified as zones A, B, and C on the map.
- New parking restrictions were introduced on Beaverbrook Street between McLeod and University Avenues, and on Church Street along the east side of Queen’s Sq. Park.
- Where indicated by signage, parking will be allowed at no charge throughout the day, except during timed restrictions of No Parking Monday to Friday between 10:00AM to 11:00AM; and 1:30PM to 2:30PM, except with a virtual daily permit.
- The overnight parking restriction is still in effect.
- These parking locations are identified as the zone Q on the map.
No, the only 2-hour parking areas that are being modified are those which will be identified as permit zones, as indicated on the map. Annual resident and daily permits are not available outside of the pilot parking permit zones. Following feedback from the public, parking permit zones may be expanded in the future.
There are three types of permits available:
- Annual Resident Parking Permits; and,
- Daily Parking Permits.
- Contractor Daily Parking Permits
- Allow a resident to park on-street in a permit zone during the time restricted No Parking hours of 1:30PM to 3:00PM.
- Are provided in a virtual, or digital, format only – no hangtag or sticker is required or available.
- Are issued to a single vehicle license plate only.
- Are valid only in the zone for which they are issued.
- Are assigned to a specific Permit Zone associated with the resident’s place of residence.
- Are valid for one (1) year from the date of issue (It is the responsibility of the annual resident permit holder to know when their permit expires and is due for renewal if they wish to continue usage).
- Shall immediately void if a permit holder changes their place of residence.
- The license plate entered for an annual Resident Parking Permit can only be changed by contacting City Hall or HotSpot Parking and providing a new proof of vehicle registration.
- Shall be available for the following vehicles only:
- Private passenger vehicles other than recreational vehicles.
- Motorcycles; and
- Trucks with less than one ton capacity.
All residents living within permit zones A, B, and C are eligible to purchase an Annual Resident Parking Permit in the zone for which the permit applies.
- You can apply for and purchase your annual permit several different ways:
- Online through HotSpot Parking Inc. at www.htsp.ca.
- Through your smartphone or tablet using the HotSpot Parking Inc. app.
- Applicants using a personal HotSpot account will have access to their application and permit information directly and will also be able to receive an automated email reminder when the permit is about to expire.
- Directly at the City Hall Service Centre.
- Applicants going through City Hall to purchase their permit will not have access to view the permit information directly and will not receive an automated email reminder when the permit is about to expire.
- Three (3) items, all matching the applicant residential address to show proof of residency within the permit zone, are required to purchase an Annual Resident Parking Permit:
- One government issued photo ID
- One City approved document (i.e., utility bill, cell phone hill, bank statement, government letter, etc.)
- The registration for the vehicle for which the permit will be issued.
- Allow an individual to park on-street in a permit zone during the time restricted No Parking hours:
- Zones A, B, and C – 1:30PM to 3:00PM
- Zone Q - 10:00AM to 11:00AM and 1:30PM to 2:30PM.
- Are issued to a single license plate; however, the license plate entered for a daily virtual parking permit can be changed at any time during its one-day activation in the personal HotSpot account.
- Are provided in a virtual, or digital, format – no hangtag or sticker required or available.
- Are assigned to a specific Permit Zone, and valid only for that zone (it is the responsibility of the permit holder to ensure they are parked in the correct permit zone).
- Are valid from 8:00AM to 5:00PM for the day for which they are purchased, only.
- May be purchased beginning at 12:00AM on the day for which they are sought to be used. No advanced purchases available.
- Are available on a first come, first served basis only, and there is a limited daily supply.
- The limit of Daily Parking Permits is based on the amount of parking available within a parking permit zone, the amount of Annual Resident Parking Permits sold, and the observed parking demand.
- Shall be available for the following vehicles only:
- Private passenger vehicles other than recreational vehicles;
- Motorcycles; and
- Trucks with less than one ton capacity.
The Daily Parking Permit is intended to be flexible to serve many potential users of all-day on-street parking in the downtown area including:
- Residents who need added parking flexibility on a given day, but do not have/ need an Annual Resident Parking Permit;
- Visitors of local residents;
- Contractors working in the area;
- Commuters working in the downtown.
- Students needing a single day of parking; or
- Other visitors to the downtown looking for a flexible daily parking option.
- To purchase a Daily Parking Permit a personal HotSpot account is required.
- Daily Parking Permits can be purchased digitally through Hotspot Parking Inc’s online website at www.htsp.ca, or by downloading and using the HotSpot Parking app.
- The Annual Resident Parking Permit is $24 per year, including tax. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, increases to $30.00 per year.
- The Daily Parking Permit is $5 per day, including tax.
- When purchasing a virtual permit there are no additional fees beyond the cost of the permit, and you do not have to pay a monthly HotSpot parking subscription fee, unless also using HotSpot for hourly parking.
- However, while no additional fees apply, to purchase a Daily Parking Permit a personal HotSpot account is required.
- Annual Resident Parking Permits purchased directly at City Hall are not tied to a personal HotSpot account, and no personal HotSpot account is required.
The timed parking restrictions and permit zones are clearly posted on each block via signage. Be sure to check signage to confirm that you are parking in the zone that you have a virtual parking permit for. A map can also be viewed on the City’s website (insert map link here) showing the on-street permit parking zones. Also, be sure not to park in front of fire hydrants or block driveways.
The Annual Resident Parking Permit for Zones A, B, and C is intended for residents who want additional flexibility for parking on-street beyond the 7.5 hours per day of unrestricted parking (free parking between 8:00AM and 5:00PM with the exception that a virtual parking permit is required to park 1:30PM to 3:00PM).
The annual fee offsets program administration costs and ensures only residents requiring the added flexibility will acquire a parking permit. By knowing how many residents purchase an annual resident permit, the city is better able to manage the number of Daily Permits that can be sold.
Daily Parking Permits are available for purchase at 12:00AM each weekday until they are sold out for the day. Only commercial contractors working within a parking permit zone are eligible to pre-buy Daily Parking Permits by attending City Hall in person.
Weekly permits are not available at this time, but the potential to have them in future will be reviewed based on customer feedback.
The on-street permit program uses virtual permits. Virtual permits are linked digitally to your vehicle license plate and there is no physical permit that can or needs to be visually displayed. Verification of virtual parking permits by Parking by-law enforcement officers is done electronically.
Yes, contractors working in one of the parking permit zones are eligible to purchase a maximum of four virtual parking permits at a time (as available), valid for varying lengths of time.
Contractors wishing to purchase Daily Parking Permits must do so in person at the City Hall Service Center at least one business day before the parking is required.
The number of permits a contractor can purchase are limited given that the number of multi-day contractor permits that are sold will impact the number of remaining Daily Parking Permits available to other users.
On-street parking permit are not intended to overload residential streets with parking. Staff have set a target on-street occupancy rate of 75%. The number of daily residential virtual parking permits available may be adjusted frequently and be based on 1) the number of Annual Resident Parking Permits sold; and 2) the observed parking occupancy and usage rates on street.
One of the key goals of providing on-street parking permits is to better understand parking demand in core areas of the city. The city intends to limit the number of Daily Parking Permits available for sale each day so that in general no more than 75% of the available on-street parking in a zone is utilized. This should enable residents to find on-street parking, if needed, within 1 to 2 blocks of their residence during the weekday. The utilization of on-street parking is a key metric that will be analyzed and evaluated.
No, the overnight parking by-law is still in effect year-round and overnight parking on-street is not permitted.
- October 1 - May 31:
- Between the hours of midnight and 7:00 am of any day., no person shall park a vehicle unattended on any highway (citywide), which includes surface parking lots. The ban is in effect whether there is snow or not. This is to facilitate the effective work of snow removal.
- June 1 - September 30:
- Between the hours of midnight and 7:00 am, of any day, the following vehicles, campers, and trailers shall not be permitted to park on any highway, including surface parking lots:
- Derelict vehicles;
- Immobile vehicles and trailers;
- Commercial vehicles over 6.8m in length or 4.15m in height;
- Recreational trailers or campers over 6.8m in length; and
- School buses or coach buses
- Between the hours of midnight and 7:00 am, of any day, the following vehicles, campers, and trailers shall not be permitted to park on any highway, including surface parking lots:
No, annual resident and daily permits are only valid in the zone for which they are issued.
Annual Resident and Daily permits are issued for a specific zone. Permit holders are not guaranteed parking in front of their residence. Rather, a permit ensures you will be able to access parking within the zone for which your permit is issued. Typically, this means parking will be available within 1-2 blocks of your residence.
There is a limit to the number of Daily Parking Permits being sold in each zone with a target occupancy rate of 75% within each zone. Once the Daily Parking Permits for an individual zone are sold out, no more will be sold even if there appears to be additional parking available on the street within the zone. You can try checking other zones for permit availability or consider hourly parking within one of the City’s parking garages.
The Parking Master Plan approved by City Council in 2019 identifies the need for more parking in the downtown. The Plan specifically identifies the creation of on-street parking as an important solution for increasing parking supply in the short term. The City will continue to explore the feasibility of a new parking structure over the long term; however, in the short term, allowing some daily parking on-street helps better utilize city infrastructure, while the availability of Annual Resident Parking Permits enables a low-cost option for residents to have ultimate flexibility when parking on-street near their home.