The future of parking will take shape at Belleville City Council on Monday (October 28th).
Council will vote on a staff report that would see several changes made in the first of three phases designed to modernize parking in the city, especially in the downtown area.
Improvements recommended as part of phase one of the parking modernization program in Belleville include an increase in the hourly rate from $1 to $1.50 an hour and increasing set fines for parking infractions.
If approved, the new changes would come into effect next year.
Belleville Council meets Monday at 4 pm at City Hall.
RECOMMENDED CHANGES AS PART OF PHASE ONE (from the staff report).
– Increasing the set fine rates for parking infractions.
– Increasing the monthly fee for daytime permit parking to from $65.00 to $75.00.
– Increase the hourly parking rate to from $1.00 to $1.50 per hour for existing Page 1 of 187 on-street spaces and surface parking lots.
– Implementing enhanced daytime enforcement through the addition of 1 added enforcement officer shift.
– Restriping parking spaces in surface lots to add new Accessible Parking Spaces.
– Making additional monthly permits available for sale – we would suggest phasing this in to allow for monitoring the uptake and ensuring that capacity continues to exist to accommodate hourly parking. The initial release of monthly permits should be based on 50% of the monthly permit availability by lot as summarized in Table 7.7 of the attached study. Monitoring of usage and lot capacity could be undertaken by enforcement staff (or other temporary staff) completing parking occupancy counts during peak periods at various times during the year to provide data to determine if there is capacity to allow for more permits to be released.
– Implement the overnight parking permit program – with a phased implementation, offering 50% of the permit availability as summarized in Table 7.7 of the study initially available, subject to review and monitoring of the program results. Designate spaces for overnight permit holders in lots to ensure that parked vehicles do not conflict with snow removal and storage operations.
– Upgrading existing signage in existing surface lots and updating the City website to provide additional information on downtown parking, parking rules and rates, information about monthly permits, and information about the overnight parking permit program.
(PAUL MARTIN)
