Residents of one of Halifax’s busiest downtown districts are calling on the city to help ease parking congestion by rolling out a “parking congestion campaign.”
“That [the campaign] will really help maybe take some pressure off of the downtown core,” said Joanne Corbett, an urban resident.
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Corbett, along with many of her neighbours, said increased development has put added strain on the limited on-street parking spots in the area.
The city turned streets surrounding Schmidtville into “permit parking” last fall.
It’s a move Corbett applauds the city for. She said it has made a huge difference in the ability residents have securing parking spots by their homes.
“People were house-bound because you had no place to park,” said Corbett, referencing the area before permit parking was implemented.
Corbett believes there’s plenty of parking options in the downtown area but they aren’t being utilized because the general public is uninformed as to where they are.
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While concerns have been raised in regards to new bike lanes taking away from available on-street spots, cycling advocate Eliza Jackson said increased cycling infrastructure will help alleviate parking pressures.
“For the people that do have the ability to walk and cycle, they’re more encouraged to do so, leaving the spots that are more available for the people who actually need it,” Jackson said.
Jackson adds that increased sustainable transportation helps ease the movement of traffic through cities.
“I think there’s this kind of idea that it’s sort of “bikes versus cars,” but really it’s about providing more options to people to get around,” she said.