Winnipeg mayor says city will remove all parking meters this summer

The City of Winnipeg is getting rid of the parking paystations by the end of the summer. Jeff Keele reports.

Throwing a loonie or toonie in the parking meter will soon be a thing of the past in Winnipeg—the city is removing its street-side parking paystations.

The city said all paystations on city streets and parking lots are set to be removed by the end of August. The only exception is the Millennium Library parkade, which will still have stations available. Private parking lots will not be impacted by the change.

The change will begin July 2. The city said Winnipeggers should download the PayByPhone mobile app, which accepts debit or credit card payments.

Parking payments can also be made online or by phone [phone]).

Drivers can also purchase Prepaid Parking Booklets (formerly the Scratch N’ Park Meter Passes) at The Parking Store, located at 495 Portage Ave.

“This is about meeting people where they are,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a news release. “Most drivers are already using their phones to pay for parking. We’re building on that shift and making smart financial decisions that reflect how people interact with City services today.”

As for what is prompting the change, the city said aging technology is to blame.

“The paystations have also reached the end of their useful life, use outdated technology, and attract theft and vandalism,” the city said in a news release Wednesday.

It noted mobile service providers are also phasing out 3G networks in Canada, making the current paystations inoperable.

If the city were to replace them, it would come with a $3.6 million price tag. By kicking cash payments to the curb, the city said it will be saving about $1 million every year.

The mayor noted 80 per cent of all parking payments are made through the PayByPhone service, with 90 per cent using a credit card. He said due to this, the city is taking a ‘digital-first’ approach by phasing out the parking meters that he described as outdated, underused, and expensive to maintain.

More details about the change can be found on the city’s website.