Ottawa lowers parking meter rates in 6 neighbourhoods due to low demand

A pay parking sign on a pole on Bank St. in Ottawa. (CTV News Ottawa)

The City of Ottawa quietly reduced on-street parking rates in six neighbourhoods this month due to low demand, just as the city looks at extending on-street paid parking hours to 9 p.m. in the ByWard Market and other hot spots.

Last summer, council approved a new “demand-based pricing model” for on-street parking spaces, giving city staff the authority to change parking rates in an area when parking demand is either too high or too low.

As of April 3, the city reduced the hourly rate $0.50 an hour to $3 an hour at on-street parking spots in the areas of Constellation, War Museum, Little Italy North, ByWard Market North/East, Glebe North and Centretown South.

The War Museum area is parking along Wellington Street between the Portage Bridge and Vimy Place. The city defines Little Italy North as all paid parking on Preston Street north of Hwy. 417 to Somerset Street West. The ByWard Market North/East area is the area that includes Dalhousie Street and spots to the east and Murray Street and north. Glebe North is on-street parking areas along Bank Street between Hwy. 417 and First Avenue, including First Avenue. Centretown South is paid parking between Bronson Avenue and the Rideau Canal that is south of Gilmour Street.

“Rates will be increased when demand is too high in order to encourage turnover and create more available parking,” the city says on its website. “Conversely, rates will be decreased when demand is too low to increase the number of drivers visiting the businesses and institutions in the area.”

Earlier this month, the city increased the daily maximum parking rate at several municipal buildings, including two parking garages in the ByWard Market and at Ottawa City Hall.

• It now costs more to park at several City of Ottawa parking lots, including in ByWard Market

Last August, the City of Ottawa increased the hourly on-street parking rate in seven areas due to demand, with parking rates jumping to $4 an hour in the ByWard Market, downtown, Chinatown, Little Italy and the Glebe. It costs $4.50 an hour to Park on Ruskin Street near the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus.

Extending paid parking into the evenings

The City of Ottawa may soon charge drivers to park on city streets during the evening hours in the ByWard Market and other busy areas.

A report to be presented to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee in May will recommend the city extend paid parking hours to 9 p.m., Coun. Tim Tierney told CTV News Ottawa.

“This is done in consultation with the BIAs, with the businesses and councillors and they’re looking at just specific areas; it’s not a blanket thing across the city,” Tierney said Friday afternoon.

“They’re looking at areas where they see 80 per cent occupancy during certain times. It’s really to avoid people parking a vehicle and then disappearing for seven hours, where that spot could be used by someone that wants to come down to a nice restaurant, but they only need it for a couple of hours. It’s really working to make sure that businesses see more people come through their doors.”

• Council to discuss extending paid parking periods in parts of downtown: Ottawa

Tierney says the extended parking hours will be “very targeted,” and it will change “on a regular basis.”

“At the end of the day, we want your business downtown. We are doing what we can to make sure we see that turnover so you have a spot,” Tierney said.

“A lot of people told me they don’t want to come down here, they don’t know if there’s a parking spot available. They don’t want to drive around for three hours and park five blocks away; they would like to park in front of their favourite restaurant that they want to come down and have a nice meal.”

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Toula Mazloum