Street parking overhaul gets green light from Edmonton councilors – Edmonton
City of Edmonton employees set to work to implement a new strategy that will fundamentally change sidewalk parking in the city.
The Sidewalk Management Strategy is a seven-action revision of the system.
Changes will vary by neighborhood and street, but may include higher parking fees, less time spent parking and some stalls transformed into patios, accessible parking or bicycle sheds.
“Like (like) how we’re supposed to figure out how to share our space for other things, we’ve got to figure out how to share our street space so that… it serves more people,” ward O-day’min councilor Anne Stevenson said Tuesday. .
Stevenson, a former city planner, said he was excited about the plan and what it could mean for transportation across the city.
It is part of the city plan, which was first approved in 2020. It aims to limit all journeys in Edmonton made by private vehicles to 50 percent. The rest would be walking, cycling or using public transport.
Ward sipiwiyiniwak councilor Sarah Hamilton says the plan will help drivers as new amenities such as parks, recreation centers and LRT stations are built nearby.
“For example, we want to make sure neighborhoods are prepared in advance so they don’t have to go and apply for a parking program, have their passes arranged,” Hamilton explains.
“It’s such details, but it affects the quality of life.”
Kevin Petterson spoke in favor of the plan on Tuesday.
Previously in commercial real estate, he shifted his focus to parking at the start of the pandemic.
He founded zipstall, that helps people find a parking space and offers them a place to pay for it.
“Rather than forcing people to use seven different parking items, we’re trying to provide a single solution that gives them all the options,” Petterson told Global News.
“Like Expedia did in the travel space.”
He said he’s fine with the council moving forward with the parking plan, but believes there could be more cooperation with private bodies.
“The City of Edmonton represents about 18 percent of the total stock of downtown stalls, and that’s not enough for them to really drive change or implement full holistic solutions,” Petterson explains.
The city is moving forward with the seven-point plan and full implementation is expected to take between five and seven years.
While the staff is drafting the exact details, there will be public consultations and information sessions.
