Residential Parking Permit and Loading Zone Program Review
The Winnipeg Parking Authority (WPA) is reviewing the requirements and policies of the residential parking permit and loading zone programs. The intent of the review is to create programs that reflect current parking and loading needs and industry best practices.
The objectives of this review are to:
- Identify challenges and issues from various perspectives, including residents, businesses and other stakeholders,
- Identify industry best practices and standards from other cities, and
- Develop potential solutions and recommended approaches that will clarify the policy direction of the residential parking permit and loading zone programs.
- Background
- Engage
- Timeline
- Documents
- FAQs
Background
About the Residential Parking Permit Program
The residential parking permit program helps communities manage non-resident vehicles in their neighbourhood by restricting the amount of time non-residents can park. Through the permit system, residents can be exempted from time restrictions.
Over the past few years a number of issues have been raised regarding the residential parking permit and loading zone programs including:
- Areas experiencing an increase in residential populations, such as the Exchange District, have an increasing number of residents purchasing permits. These residents want to park close to home.
- An increase in the number of residential parking permits results in fewer spaces for businesses, customers, and visitors.
- Business owners want an abundance of short term on-street parking that allows for frequent parking turnover.
- The cost of delivering and enforcing the program is increasing.
- The current application and renewal process for a residential parking permit must be completed at the WPA office.
About the Loading Zone Program
The loading zone program helps manage designated on-street curb spaces that are signed for short-term use by vehicles. Loading zones may be installed to drop off and pick up passengers with limited mobility and/or to accommodate short-term use to load or unload goods.
Over the past few years a number of challenges and issues have been raised regarding the loading zone program including:
- The purpose of loading zones is to actively load or unload goods or people. You are allowed to use a loading zone for a maximum of fifteen minutes, yet this is difficult to enforce as it requires continuous monitoring.
- The provision of loading zones reduces the availability of on-street parking.
- There is no formal review process to determine whether a loading zone is still needed. As a result, removing unneeded loading zones is difficult.
- The cost of delivering and enforcing the program is increasing.
Engage
Public engagement is an integral element of this project, and there will be multiple opportunities for the public to provide feedback on the residential parking permit and loading zone programs. Through the engagement process the WPA can better develop an understanding of how residents and businesses view the current parking permit and loading zone programs, and identify potential opportunities to make modifications or improvements.
The following pop-up engagement events were held:
Portage and Main Rotunda
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location: Underground Portage and Main
Polo Park Mall
Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Time: 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Location: 1485 Portage Avenue
The Forks
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2016
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location: 1 Forks Market Road
Feedback was received until June 30, 2016 through online surveys.
Documents
| Document Name | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Metro advertisement | 2016-05-17 | Newspaper Ad |
| Pop-up events storyboards - English | 2016-06-09 | Story Boards |
| Pop-up events storyboards - French | 2016-06-09 | Story Boards |
| Public invited to provide feedback on residential parking permit and loading zone programs - English | 2016-05-25 | News Release |
| Public invited to provide feedback on residential parking permit and loading zone programs - French | 2016-05-25 | News Release |
Frequently Asked Questions
The residential parking permit program allows residents to park for longer durations than normally allowed in on-street time-limited parking areas. Through the permit program, local residents can be exempted from time restrictions, which allow them to park close to home for an unrestricted length of time.
Parking time limits are generally on streets in close proximity to high demand locations such as downtown and destination streets (i.e. Corydon Avenue, Osborne Street), and around hospitals, high schools, multi-unit residential buildings, and post-secondary institutions. Time restrictions are used to create frequent on-street parking turnover for businesses, clients/customers, and visitors.
For the last 20 years, a residential parking permit program has been in operation. Minor modifications were made to the residential parking permit program in 2006 and 2012 regarding renewal requirements and zone boundaries, but otherwise the program remains largely the same as when it started. The residential parking permit program includes policy on eligibility to receive a residential parking permit, the application process, cost, number of permits per residence, and the permit renewal process.
Date added: May 20, 2016
Loading zones are designated on-street curb spaces that are signed for short-term use by vehicles. There are four types of loading zones, residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional. Residential loading zones are installed to accommodate persons that require pick-up by Handi-Transit. Commercial, institutional, and industrial loading zones may be installed to drop off and pick up passengers with limited mobility and/or to accommodate short-term use to load or unload goods.
The loading zone program includes policy on the application process, cost, and installation of loading zones.
Date added: May 20, 2016