WINNIPEG — As early as July Winnipeggers will have to pay to park at a downtown meter at night.
On Monday Winnipeg’s alternate services committee agreed to implement a plan to extend paid meter parking to 8:30 p.m. in what’s knows as the Sports Hospitality and Entertainment District. (SHED)
Pending council approval parking in that zone – essentially one block in each direction of the MTS Centre – will run from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The pay period currently ends at 5:30 p.m.
The parking authority says its not about revenue – as it will only add another $50,000-$100,000 in earnings each year.
The Winnipeg Parking Authority says charging an evening fee would help to free up parking spaces and increase turnover, as many drivers leave their cars parked overnight.
Get breaking National news
“If it were all about money we would put the requirement to pay to whatever time we wanted to establish,” said Winnipeg Parking Authority spokesman Randy Topolniski. “This is designed to get the turnover.”
The Parking Authority was originally requesting to extend paid meter parking past the SHED zone as far south as Broadway but was told that would only be considered after data proves this latest measure is working and not hindering downtown business growth.
Council approved paid evening on-street parking in 2012, but it was never implemented.
It was delayed again in 2013 to help prevent negative impacts on businesses dealing with the NHL lockout. Later that year, drivers were forced to start paying for parking earlier in the day as pay stations took effect at 8 a.m.
The proposed change would include adding 95 more pay stations.
The parking authority would like to get a public awareness campaign running by the end of summer, ahead of the next NHL season.
Comments