THUNDER BAY – The city is backing out of potential plans to introduce paid parking at the waterfront due to “little support” from the public.
City council on Monday night will receive a memorandum from parking authority supervisor Jonathan Paske, recommending a strategy to implement a parking management strategy at Prince Arthur’s Landing be withdrawn.
In the memorandum, Paske said there was “little to no public support” from the public, stakeholders, committees or members of council to go forward with a parking management strategy at the waterfront and “especially little support to charge for parking.”
In February, a city news release announcing an open house meeting said the development of a strategy would aim to address availability of parking at the waterfront.
That open house drew 100 people, with the vast majority opposing the proposal to introduce a three-hour limit and set rates mirroring the weekday business area parking schedule.
The subject had been reviewed by the Waterfront Advisory Committee and the Marina Advisory Committee, with the parking authority board also involved in the proposal and consultation process.
“The management of parking at the Waterfront will continue as is in its current state and the parking situation will be monitored going forward. The Parking Authority will report back if and when the parking situation changes in the future.”
