Thunder Bay City Council to debate free parking proposal next month

A proposal to allow two hours of free parking in on-street, metered lots in Thunder Bay will be debated by city council next month.

Administration brought the proposal forward in a report on Monday, May 12th. If eventually approved by council, it would see motorists get two free hours of parking, with the option to purchase two more, in metered spots throughout the city.

A councillor — their name has not yet been provided — has agreed to table a motion at council's next meeting, which is scheduled for May 26. Council must wait a minimum of two weeks after the motion is tabled to debate and vote.

Councillors representing Thunder Bay's business districts said Tuesday they're in favour of the move.

That includes Coun. Andrew Foulds, who represents the Current River ward.

"Most people, when they think of Current River, they they don't think about all the way down Cumberland into the core area," he said. "But of course the ward does meander down McVicar Creek into into the downtown."

Foulds said the ward also encompasses part of Marina Park.

"There have been a lot of proposed changes to parking over the last few years," he said. "I think we have to be honest with ourselves, some of the changes were fine with most people, and some of the changes, many people really struggled with."

Foulds said he'll support the motion when it comes up for a vote, and noted supporting businesses in downtown cores is especially important given the Canada-US trade war.

"I think there's another layer to all of this," he said, adding the "the whole issue south of the border has changed, I would say drastically, [in relation to] economic conditions, and the economic vibrancy of cities and their cores" in recent months.

Westford ward Coun. Kristen Oliver, who's ward includes the Westfort Village business area, also said she'll support the motion.

"The corridor between Brown and Edward, that's where the parking meters are," Oliver said.

She noted that the services that people access in the area, whether visiting a pharmacy, a restaurant or a salon, can take longer than an hour.

"Whether you're going in for waxing or you're shopping or you're having a meal, those typically tend to last at least an hour, I would say," she said.

Oliver says the proposed change would allow customers to tap into the free two-hour parking option, and then offer an incentive to move on, "which then opens up that parking space for someone else to come in and utilize those services in that business corridor."

Part of the proposal is also about the city getting more data on parking demand. The report that went to council Monday noted that there is "significant unused capacity" in the city's parking system, and the city isn't entirely sure why.

"Given the many factors that have influenced parking in recent years — including the COVID-19 pandemic, revitalization projects, shifts in consumer habits, and rate increases — it is unclear what is driving current usage patterns."

Council approved a new 10-year parking financial plan on Jan. 22, 2024, making several significant changes to parking in the city in the process, including:

• Increased rates.
• The introduction of paid parking at the Marina, and on Saturdays.
• Expanded hours of parking enforcement.
• The closure of under-utilized lots.

The changes, the report states, were met with "significant community resistance," which led to some rollbacks, including the reversal of expanded enforcement hours.

If council approves the new proposal, it would be in effect until the end of 2027.

"We need to make informed decisions based on empirical data," Foulds said. "That's why we're, even though there's free parking, we're asking people to go to the machines and log into the app so that we have good solid data in order to make informed decisions on whatever the strategic direction is."

The report states the data gleaned will be used to inform future parking decisions, such as potentially offering different rates in different areas or time-of-day pricing.