Halifax motorists will now have to pay for on-street parking on Saturdays

Halifax will now charge for on-street parking on Saturdays.

Weekend drivers in Halifax will need to keep some spare change in their pockets if they plan to park on the side of streets.

During budget deliberations this week, Halifax council voted unanimously to implement paid on-street parking on Saturdays in downtown Halifax, Spring Garden Road and downtown Dartmouth.

“Weekend parking demand is consistently high in these areas, particularly in and around downtown, and most comparable jurisdictions reviewed charge for parking on Saturdays,” a staff report reads. “This approach supports short-duration visits while managing longer-stay parking demand and improving turnover in high-use areas.”

The first hour of parking on Saturdays would be free and the pay period would run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“I voted in favour of the Saturday increase because we’re kind of out of step with the rest of cities our size, so I was okay with bringing that one in,” said District 7 Councillor Laura White.

The report noted other jurisdictions like Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa charge for parking on Saturdays, but fellow Maritime cities Charlottetown and Moncton still let drivers park for free on that day.

“According to recent research out of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, the typical urban on-street parking space has annualized land, construction and operating costs that total $630 to $2,600,” the report reads. “Offering parking for free or at a highly subsidized rate incentivizes car culture and provides a benefit to the individual user as opposed to the broader community.”

Sue Uteck, the executive director of the Spring Garden Area Business Association, says she is deeply disappointed with the move.

“There was no consultation with us. We understood that there was going to be a district benefit parking study coming in the spring, and we would assume that we would work together with the city, implement that strategy and probably expect a parking increase. But that didn’t happen,” she said.

“Saturday is the busiest shopping day in the downtowns, and it’s one of the busiest days for events. So now you’re going to the farmer’s market, you’re going to pay. You’re going to Scotiabank Center, that’s probably another $5 to $10 on your parking bill to go to an event. You might reconsider coming downtown versus Bayers Lake, where parking is free.”

According to Lezlie Oler, owner of In A Box Store, customers often complain about the parking situation downtown.

“Difficult to find a spot and they find it very frustrating. So, to add a payment on Saturday morning is certainly not going to make people happy about coming downtown. And there’s a resistance to underground parking in the Spring Garden area. I don’t understand why we have in excess of 2,000 parking spaces, but people seem to be very resistant in Halifax to underground parking,” said Oler.

“I’m hoping that it doesn’t hamper people coming downtown. I don’t think parking is that expensive, that if somebody is determined to come downtown to shop, it’s going to stand in their way. But it’s one more thing, it’s one more excuse. “

The report expects the paid parking on Saturdays will generate roughly $414,000.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Vanessa Wright

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