Parked cars are a plague in some areas of the city. The area around Lansdowne during a sporting event, communities near hospitals and those near government buildings like Lowertown can be inundated with commuters’ cars.
Compared to other cities, Ottawa has been slow of the mark in adopting strategies to combat the problem beyond prohibiting parking altogether. Slowly but surely, more nuanced approaches are being adopted through the city. As of May, 1 residents of Lowertown west who are willing to pay money to the city can now obtain permits for themselves or their guests. Here is what the City has to say:
On-street residential monthly parking permits
The purpose of the Residential Parking Permit Program is to provide eligible residents and their out-of-town visitors in defined areas with special privileges related to parking on designated portions of a street or streets in that area. In general, the permit allows those eligible to park for periods in excess of the otherwise stipulated parking period for their street(s), and to be exempt from the overnight parking ban during the winter months, subject to some limitations and conditions.
New parking rules for Lowertown West
Cost
The fees below are in effect as of April 1, 2018. Residents may visit any Client Service Centre to purchase an on-street parking permit. Refunds will not be issued for a period of less than 30 days before the expiry date. The cost of a replacement permit is $10.50 plus HST.
- The summer monthly permit will be available from April to November for $31 + HST per month
- The winter monthly permit will be available from December to March for $143 + HST per month
- The annual permit for on-street parking is $660 +HST.
- Beginning in April 2016, residents have the option to pay for an annual permit with pre-authorized equalized monthly payments (Note. The pre-authorized monthly payment option for annual permits is only available at the City Hall Client Service Centre located at 110 Laurier Avenue West). Please note clients cannot cancel a permit purchased with pre-authorized monthly payments, for any reason.
Guest Parking Permit
The purpose of the Guest Parking Permit Program is to provide residents in defined areas with a special privilege that allows their guests to park for longer periods than otherwise permitted, subject to some limitations and conditions. The rationale is to provide a short-period guest parking solution in areas near high on-street parking generators such as hospitals or sports venues where tight parking restrictions such as “No Parking” or 1- or 2-hour time limit zones have been established to solve on-street parking violation problems.
The resident’s guests who is holding the Guest Parking Permit is allowed to remain parked in the defined Guest Parking Permit Zone that corresponds to the permit, up to a maximum duration of 3 hours, consistent with the general unsigned regulations in effect throughout the City. Some permits, given their Guest Parking Permit Zone, may specify a limited time period during which the permit privileges apply.
Other than the special on-street parking privileges specified by the permit, all other traffic and parking regulations apply.
Approximate cost
- 2018: $26.00 per year
For more information, go to: https://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/parking/parking-permits#guest-parking-permit