Parking strategy and studies

Parking strategy

The Municipal Parking Management Strategy sets the mandate for the Municipal Parking Management Program. Its objectives include providing affordable, secure, accessible, convenient and appealing public parking in Ottawa. It also encourages alternative modes of transportation. The strategy sets the funding model and provides guidelines for parking rates.

Bike parking strategy

On April 14, 2021, Ottawa City Council approved the Public Bike Parking Strategy and Implementation Plan. Resident feedback was an important feature of our engagement process and we are excited to move forward with initiatives that will ensure the City is able to meet current and future demands for bike parking for our residents, commuters, business owners, and visitors.

Parking studies

Parking studies are a key tool to review the supply and demand for parking in an area. They help determine any needed adjustments. Studies may recommend changing how much parking is available, restrictions, rates or levels of enforcement.

Completed local area parking studies:

Current parking study - Kitchissippi

Kitchissippi (2023)

Parking Services is conducting a parking study update to the 2017 Westboro Local Area Parking Study and 2017 Wellington West Local Area Parking Study.

The Westboro study area is bounded by Scott Street in the north, Kenwood Avenue / Wesley Avenue / and Byron Avenue in the south, Broadview Avenue in the west, and Island Park Drive in the east.

The Wellington West study area is bounded by Scott Street in the north, Byron Avenue / Tyndall Street / Sims Avenue / Gladstone Avenue / Laurel Street in the south, Island Park Drive in the west, and the O-Train tracks in the east.

The parking study update is carried out in alignment with the Municipal Parking Management Strategy which commits the City of Ottawa to providing efficient, transparent, and sustainable parking services in collaboration with stakeholders. Per the Municipal Parking Management Strategy, the objectives of the Municipal Parking Management Program include the following:

Provide an appropriate and optimized supply of general use public parking that is secure, accessible, convenient, appealing, and fairly and consistently enforced.
Prioritize short-term parking that is responsively priced to support businesses, institutions, and tourism while considering the impact on the local community.
Promote sustainable modes of transportation by supporting and maintaining programs and facilities that encourage sustainable mobility choices (public transit, cycling, walking) and alternative modes, including electric vehicles, car sharing, and new technologies as they emerge.
Resolve parking-related issues in residential areas caused by sources of high parking demand.

Parking studies involve collecting parking-related data and developing recommendations based on data analysis and consultation with stakeholders towards ensuring the objectives of the program are achieved.

The purpose of the parking study update is to understand the complex relationship between parking and land use and to make informed decisions on how the municipality can assist communities and local business in ensuring there is available parking for residents, visitors, and patrons. Results from previous parking studies indicate on-street parking pressures and issues are increasing in the commercial areas along Richmond Road and Wellington Street West since neighbourhood intensification and competition for the use of limited curb space has been increasing.

Recommendations from past parking studies include:

Adjust parking regulations by implementing a 90-minute maximum parking time limit from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm along the business corridor (Richmond Road and Wellington Street West) for consistency across the entire area.
Address the need for additional bicycle parking.
Explore potential to increase both off-street and on-street parking supply.
Encourage the establishment of short-term parking within new private sector developments to better balance supply and demand in the future.
Promotion of off-street parking.
Remove paid parking during Saturday on Holland Avenue.
Reduce paid parking rates on Hamilton Avenue and Spencer Street.

Over the next few months, local stakeholders will be consulted during the study process to ensure that the parking needs of the local community are accurately captured and assessed.

The parking study consultation process will be conducted with Community Associations and Business Improvement Areas as follows:

Phase 1: Preliminary Consultation

Provide an overview of the parking study and progress to date.
Receive initial feedback, comments, concerns, questions, or ideas.
Opportunity to meet with the project team.

Phase 2: Focused Consultation

Present data, findings, and issues.
Summarize preliminary feedback, comments, concerns, questions, and ideas.
Discuss potential parking recommendations and outcomes.
Receive feedback and ideas.

Phase 3: Final Consultation

Summarize consultation feedback, comments, concerns, questions, and ideas.
Hold a public open house to present findings, conclusions and outcomes.
Answer questions and receive feedback.

Parking Study Progress Update

As of August 18, 2023, the following has been completed:

Review of past parking reports / studies, as well as enforcement data, population and employment forecasts and modal share data.
Review of existing and planned development for the study area.
Review of existing parking supply and regulations and account for any changes in curbside parking.
Performed parking occupancy counts in the business corridor along Richmond Road, Danforth Avenue, Wellington Street West, and Somerset Street West in April and June.
Performed residential parking counts in April 2023.
Performed off-street parking lot counts for paid general use, large retail, and by permit only in June 2023.

Next Phase

Over the next couple of months we are planning to:

Complete parking data collection and compile, process and analyze the data.
Account for preliminary feedback and ideas.
Continue the consultation process

Parking Stakeholder Consultation Group

Overview

The Parking Stakeholder Consultation Group (PSCG) serves as a forum for key stakeholders and the City to discuss policy and services administered by the Municipal Parking Management Program under the authority of the Municipal Parking Management Strategy. The group consists of 13 members who represent a wide variety of key stakeholder groups. The group’s mandate, membership, roles and responsibilities, decision making authority, meeting frequency, and term limits are established in the Council approved Terms of Reference for the Parking Stakeholder Consultation Group.

Meeting Minutes

Beginning with the 2020 – 2022 term of the Parking Stakeholder Consultation Group, meeting minutes as approved by the Parking Stakeholder Consultation Group will be available online: