Will parking remain free in Wellington West and Westboro? City studying parking options
CTV
Time could soon run out on free on-street parking in Ottawa's Westboro, Wellington West and Hintonburg neighbourhoods.
Time could soon run out on free on-street parking in Ottawa's Westboro, Wellington West and Hintonburg neighbourhoods.
The City of Ottawa is updating the Kitchissippi Parking Study, which looks to address parking-related issues in the popular business areas. Public meetings will be held on Saturday and Monday to discuss the recommendations for the future of free parking in the neighbourhoods.
While on-street parking is currently free on Richmond Road and Wellington Street West, the local councillor suggests the free parking will soon come to an end.
"After multiple rounds of study, it's been determined by the city that the utilization of the parking is heavy enough there that it warrants paid parking as a way to manage the supply," Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper told CTV News Ottawa on Friday.
"I've been hearing for years about the lack of parking from merchants. There comes a point at which the only tool left in the toolkit is to implement paid parking and to price it in order to ensure that parking is available when people want to use it."
There is a 90-minute maximum parking time limit from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week along the business corridor of Richmond Road and Wellington Street West.
An analysis of on-street parking shows sections of Richmond Road and Wellington Street West exceeded 85 per cent occupancy in 2023. Staff say on Wellington Street West, demand for parking has "increased since 2015, particularly in the weekday midday and afternoon time periods."
