New 'demand-based' parking rates debut in Ottawa

Some parking rates in Ottawa are increasing Monday as part of the city's new "demand-based" pricing strategy.

Rates will go up "where demand for parking is very high to encourage turnover and create more available parking" and drop in places "where demand for parking is very low to increase demand," the city said in a statement last week.

The changes will affect 11 of 20 parking zones, with rates rising in seven of them and dropping in four.

In six zones, rates are increasing to $4 an hour:

•  Little Italy South (Preston Street south of Highway 417, as well as on adjacent side streets).
•  Chinatown (Somerset Street West and adjacent side streets from the O-Train tracks to Bronson Avenue).
•  Glebe South (Bank Street and adjacent side streets between Holmwood and First avenues).
•  Downtown (The area between Bronson Avenue and the Rideau Canal, north of Nepean Street).
•  King Edward (King Edward Avenue between Mann Avenue and Osgoode Street).
•  ByWard Core (The ByWard Market area from Rideau Street to Murray Street to Dalhousie Street — although not including Rideau or Dalhousie).

Parking rates will rise on Ruskin Street near The Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus to $4.50, hitting the maximum allowed under the 2024 budget. 

Rates will drop from $1.50  to $1 an hour in the following zones:

• Holland Cross (Holland Avenue, Spencer Street and Hamilton Avenue North).
• Terminal (Terminal Avenue and Sandford Fleming Avenue).
• Rideau (Rideau Street and adjacent side streets, east of King Edward Avenue).

 The Vanier zone (Montreal Road, Montgomery Street and Selkirk Street) will see rates drop from $2 to $1.50 an hour.

The city estimates the new pricing model, approved by council in 2019, will bring in roughly $440,000 in a year.

The rates will periodically be adjusted up or down by 50 cents to "ensure that parking is appropriately priced to best support businesses, institutions and tourism," the city said.

Some drivers worried

Some residents doubt that the change will be a positive one. 

"I think the parking is already quite expensive," said Maggie Beigun, who spends time in the southern part of the Glebe.

Beigun worried that certain areas could fill up if drivers flock to less expensive zones.

"I think it'll cause a little more congestion in the cheaper areas," she said. "I don't think homeowners would like that a whole lot."

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Ervin Jean-Pierre is often downtown and said the price increase won't deter him from driving.

"[If] you're running a business, or you need to do something downtown, you have no choice," he said. "I need to park down there, so then I'll be paying more."

Tourists and other folks who enjoy Ottawa's popular areas will have to pay more, Jean-Pierre said, despite other everyday costs already rising.

"People want to come out and have lunch and or dinner, which is already gone up in price. So I don't know if that's the solution," he said. 

Business owners could be affected

Some business owners in areas where parking costs will rise say they're also concerned.

"We'll have to hope for more local walking traffic and less commuter traffic," said David Saunders, whose spouse owns the Witch Chest, which recently opened in the Glebe. 

"Given the fact that around here most of the parking is limited to two hours anyways, I'm not sure that by changing the rates you're actually going to free up more space — because there's regular turnaround."