For a decade, Fredericton residents have had to manoeuvre around parked cars downtown on Regent Street after 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday and all day Sundays. But on Monday night, a resolution to end that will go before city council. “It is a little bit confusing to motorists. It is atypical for an arterial roadway to have parking on it, and have parking on it only at a certain period of time,” engineering and operation assistant director Sean Lee told Fredericton’s mobility committee on Oct. 22. Regent Street, headed northbound, is one of the main routes to access the Westmoreland Bridge — and as Fredericton has grown, so has traffic on the street. “Generally, you try to get consistency in your arterial systems so that people know what to expect,” Lee added. At that meeting, the mobility committee forwarded a resolution to end off-peak parking to city council, which will be considered on Monday night. The conversation is welcome news to local resident Sophie Caissie. “When I heard about that, I was like, makes sense. Why would it take that long for someone to like, fix that problem,” she told CTV News on Monday. Currently, parking is only allowed between King Street and Queen Street after 7 p.m. until 2:30 a.m., Monday to Saturday and 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Sundays. The off-peak parking has long been a concern to locals, like downtown resident Jeff Thompson. “I’m a big believer that traffic should flow freely, and when you have parking, it interrupts that flow,” he said. Another local resident, Suzanne Sypher, echoed that sentiment. “I do not think there should be parking on that busy street. Two lanes merge into one, and it is a real traffic hazard,” she said. According to the mobility committee’s report, in the last 10 years there have been two accidents directly related to the off-peak parking, and “many reports of near miss scenarios.” Sypher knows the risks well. “I have not had near-misses, but I’ve witnessed many near misses. So yes, it’s dangerous,” she said. If the resolution passes first and second reading, it will have to go before council again for third reading. Additionally on Monday night, the council will vote on adopting the 2027 municipal budget. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
