The City of Peterborough will resume charging for municipal on-street and surface lot parking in the central area on Monday, Aug. 10.
Paid parking had temporarily been paused for those areas in March, as part of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, as Peterborough moves into Stage 3 of the province’s reopening framework, the city says more activities are resuming, which increases the demand for parking, and the need for turnover of parking spaces.
Cash can once again be used for the pay-and-display machines and parking meters.
However, the city has introduced another contactless option for smartphone users. The HotSpot Parking app is offering a parking service through its platform, in partnership with the city. Residents can download the app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play, and load money to pay for their spot.
The app requires a membership, which is $2 plus tax a month, or $20 a year, plus tax.
The same app is being used for fare collection from Peterborough Transit users, starting Aug. 10. According to Coun. Kemi Akapo, the app is waiving the fees for Peterborough users for the first four months.
For those using cash, the city is reminding residents and visitors to use hand sanitizer or wash their hand’s hands before and after using the pay-and-display machines and parking meters.
There are about 385 on-street parking spaces, 400 spaces in municipal lots, and almost 1,200 spaces in parking garages in the central area, according to the city. There is one-hour free parking in municipal parking garages, as well as free parking after 6 p.m. on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays at municipal on-street parking, surface lots, and parking garages.
According to the city, parking fees help pay for the monitoring and regulation of parking services to maintain a healthy turnover rate.
Information on municipal parking services, including a map with the locations of the parking lots and parking garages, can be found at www.peterborough.ca/parking.