An engagement group commissioned by the City of Lethbridge brought recommendations regarding parking changes to the  Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. (Photo: LNN)

By Christian Oldale

Changes to city parking brought to Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee

Nov 15, 2023 | 8:09 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge city council directed administration to form a working engagement group regarding parking changes.

This came following public concern stemming from an item in last year’s operating budget that proposed increasing parking fines in the city.

The engagement group included City staff from the Transportation, Infrastructure Services and Communications and Engagement departments, as well as representatives of the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) and the Heart of Our City Committee (HOCC).

The group met three times over the summer between June and September, and came up with recommendations.

The team then presented the recommendations at the Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

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The proposed recommendations are to be carried out as a two-year pilot project, with an update to Council after one year.

Some of the recommendations proposed by the engagement team include:

Fine adjustments:

• Reduce fine proposal from $50 to $40 (reduction of $20 if paid within 10 days) in the downtown core
• Parking fines outside downtown core $50 (reduction of $15 if paid within 10 days)
• Implementation beginning February 1, 2024

Parking incentives:

• Provide free parking in the downtown core Monday-Friday until 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m. (change from the current enforcement hours of 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
• Grace period increase to seven minutes (change from the current three minutes)
• Replace all current Zone 2 areas with Zone 3 (Downtown BRZ completed a separate survey to implement this proposal and received overwhelming support)
• Provide free downtown core parking initiative days (to be decided in consultation with the BRZ and the HOCC)
• Enhanced maintenance program for the kiosks
• Implementation beginning February 1, 2024

City of Lethbridge Parking Co-ordinator Phillip Berg said, “Our engagement group members all have a common goal of seeing a vibrant downtown. Through our discussions, we worked together in a collaborative fashion to find some compromises, propose creative ideas and generate some new incentives for parking downtown.”

The recommendations from the Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee will still need to go to City Council for approval.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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