Occupancy rates drop in on-street parking spots after Ottawa introduces evening, Saturday paid parking

Fewer vehicles have been parking in on-street parking spots in the ByWard Market, Little Italy South and parts of the Glebe since the introduction of evening paid parking last fall.

Council approved a plan to extend paid on-street parking until 7:30 p.m. in the ByWard Market and Little Italy South Monday to Saturday, and until 7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday in the Glebe South, between Holmwood Avenue and First Avenue.

The new parking hours were introduced in October.

The new demand-based model, introduced in 2024, sets a target for parking to be between 50 and 80 per cent full at peak within a specific zone, with staff saying demand over 80 per cent full means there is a lack of available short-term parking available. The city will adjust parking rates where peak parking demand is either too high or too low, according to staff.

The 2025 Parking Services Annual Report shows the weekday evening peak occupancy volumes dropped in all locations with evening on-street parking hours last fall.

In the ByWard Market core area, the weekday evening peak occupancy dropped from 99 per cent in the fall of 2024 to 88 per cent in the fall of 2025, the first quarter with the new weekday evening paid parking hours.

In Little Italy South, the parking spot occupancy rate dropped from 85 per cent in the fall of 2024 to 76 per cent in the fall of 2025.

In the Glebe South, the weekday evening peak occupancy rate dropped from 82 per cent in the fall of 2024 to 63 per cent last fall.

The Saturday daytime peak occupancy period increased in the ByWard Market Core to 97 per cent in fall 2025 from 96 per cent in the fall of 2024, while the occupancy rates dropped on Saturdays in Little Italy South (75 per cent in fall of 2025) and the Glebe South (87 per cent).

Boost in parking revenue

The City of Ottawa saw a $1.6 million boost in parking metre revenue in 2025, as the city increased hourly rates, adjusted parking hours in high-demand areas like Little Italy, the ByWard Market and the Glebe, introduced new on-street parking metre locations.

The 2025 Parking Services Annual Report shows the city collected $19.62 million in revenue from on-street parking metres and municipal lots last year, up from $18.4 million in 2024.

The city collected $9.78 million in revenue from municipal lots, while $9.78 million was paid by drivers at on-street parking locations.

In addition to the new on-street parking hours, the city recently increased hourly rates in several areas. Staff say 13 off-street parking rates were adjusted in 2025.

In 2024, the city increased the hourly on-street parking rate in seven busy areas to $4 an hour as part of a new “demand-based pricing framework.” The on-street parking rate increased to $4.50 an hour on Ruskin Street near the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus.

The report shows the weekday daytime peak occupancy rate on Ruskin Street dropped from 102 per cent in the fall of 2024 to 79 per cent in the fall of 2025.

The City of Ottawa operates 4,337 on-street parking spaces and 2,.747 off-street spaces in five parking structures and 11 surface parking lots. The Parking Services branch also manages 6,020 bike parking spaces.

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