Stony Plain Road parking meters to become ‘no stopping’ zones on weekdays

Traffic along a contentious section of Stony Plain Road will soon see changes when streetside parking meters are converted to ‘no stopping’ zones during weekdays.

Starting on Mar. 2, parking will not be allowed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. Drivers will still be allowed to use the meters after 6 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends, however.

"The city is confident that these new restrictions will help reduce traffic bottlenecks at the intersection of Stony Plain Road and 124 Street," said Gord Cebryk, the city’s branch manager of traffic operations in a statement.

"We've heard from a lot of citizens that this is a problem area, and this solution provides a good compromise for both drivers and business owners."

Frustration over traffic congestion along that stretch of road has been building since the July closure of 102nd Avenue over Groat Road, which diverted many downtown commuters to the already-busy Stony Plain Road.

In an effort to alleviate some of the congestion, the city proposed creating a temporary parking lot on the north side of Stony Plain Road to service area businesses.

However, that plan was stopped in early February when zoning changes required for the lot were successfully appealed.

Despite the restricted parking meter hours, city officials say drivers should still expect to see some delays when using Stony Plain Road and recommend commuters consider alternate routes such as 107th Avenue or 111th Avenue.

Work on the 102nd Avenue bridge is scheduled to wrap up in the fall.