The Halifax Regional Municipality will spend $184,000 on a parking program designed to lure people back into the city’s downtown centres.
The program, which Halifax Regional Council approved on June 8, will eliminate parking fees at certain times, give first-time offenders a break on parking tickets, and give money to businesses to help them set up parking validation programs.
The measures were designed to give a boost to downtown businesses hit hard by Covid-19 restrictions.
In April, a coalition of business organizations asked council to come up with a parking program as a way to help them through their summer recovery.
“The loss of office workers, tourists, students, and other customers has hit the urban cores of Halifax and Dartmouth particularly hard during the pandemic,” Downtown Halifax Business Commission CEO Paul Mackinnon wrote on behalf of the businesses.
“Available, convenient, affordable parking is a key component to any downtown business district,” he continued. “We would ask that HRM Council and staff look at 2021 as a critical period for downtown businesses and use parking as a means of helping.”
In a presentation to council, HRM’s Victoria Horne echoed MacKinnon, telling council “the next few months are crucial to ensuring both local residents and tourists feel welcomed back to the downtowns.”
To make sure people feel welcomed, the HRM will make on-street parking free from 4-6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays for most of the summer.
The city will also hold off on giving parking tickets to first-time violators.
Instead, enforcement officers will hand out “welcome back” notices with information on how to use the new parking system and avoid getting a ticket in the future.
The city will also put resources into encouraging people to use its new HotSpot parking app, which Horne said is much more convenient.
Part of that effort will mean covering transaction fees for people using the app. The city is also starting a parking validation program and will cover the costs (including training and tablets) for 200 businesses to take part.
That program, Horne said, will have a “lasting benefit to business well beyond the recovery period.”
Council voted unanimously in support of the measures and many said they wanted to see even more done.
Coun. Sam Austin asked staff to look into making ferry rides in the city free during specific times, in addition to select free parking.
“We want to support the business here and a lot of people do get around by car, but the ferry is an integral part of the two downtowns,” he said. “If we’re ever going to be subsidizing parking I think we should also be thinking about can we offer supports that are actually in line with our sustainable transportation objectives.”
Council supported Austin’s request and asked city staff to return to council with a report looking at options for free ferry service at specific times.
Free parking downtown (between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.) is scheduled to begin June 17.
Trevor Nichols is a reporter with HuddleToday.ca .
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