Hundreds of parking tickets were sprouting up on vehicles in Ottawa’s Little Italy and Dows Lake areas during the opening weekend of the Canadian Tulip Festival. As thousands of people took advantage of the sunshine and warm temperatures to view the 300,000 tulips at Commissioners Park, Bylaw and Regulatory Services (BLRS) deployed additional officers to neighbourhoods to address “the increased volume of vehicles in the area. Bylaw Services director Roger Chapman tells CTV News Ottawa 372 parking tickets were issued between May 9 and 11 in the Little Italy and Dows Lake areas for “various parking infractions.” “BLRS reminds all visitors attending the Tulip Festival to adhere to the City’s Traffic and Parking Bylaw and to pay close attention to signage, as some restrictions have been updated specifically for the event,” Chapman said in a statement. Commissioners Park is the main location for the Canadian Tulip Festival, with events happening every day between May 9 and 19. The National Capital Commission has billed the park the “showstopper” for tulips. Canadian Tulip Festival executive director Jo Riding encourages people to park in paid parking lots near Commissioners Park or at Carleton University. You can also take OC Transpo’s new O-Train Line 2 to Dows Lake Station. “We do recommend if you’re going to try neighbourhood parking, to follow the posted signage because we can’t stop Bylaw from issuing tickets if you’re not parked in the correct spot,” Riding told CTV News Ottawa. The city’s director of traffic services says “Special Event – No Stopping – Tow Away” signs are typically installed to protect emergency access within areas surrounding large events. “In the case of Tulip Festival, temporary curbside regulation changes are made in the neighbouring community to protect emergency access as a Fire and Life Safety issue,” Krista Tanaka said in an email to CTV News Ottawa. “The City of Ottawa works closely with Ward Offices, event organizers, and local community members to identify and promote which temporary signage changes are being made and where.” According to the City of Ottawa’s website, parking fines include $70 for parking in excess of posted time limits and $130 for “stand in no stopping area – Special Event.” The Canadian Tulip Festival is encouraging visitors to park at Carleton University or use O-Train Line 2 and get off the train at Dows Lake Station. 100,000 visits on opening weekend Commissioners Park was packed with visitors during the opening weekend of the Canadian Tulip Festival. The National Capital Commission says there were over 100,000 visitors to Commissioners Park to see the tulips last Saturday and Sunday.
