In an effort to see more parking stalls in Canmore’s downtown core turn over throughout the day, the municipality is putting in place a four-hour time limit as part of a pilot program.
The four-hour parking restriction comes into effect on Aug. 1 in the lots that surround the Roam Transit bus stop in Canmore behind the visitor information centre downtown.
Currently, those parking lots have no time restriction and general manager of municipal infrastructure Michael Fark told council earlier this month that a pilot program for a time restriction is aimed at addressing traffic and congestion in the downtown core.
“One of the key points is that how people move into and out of the town centre impacts quality of life and experience,” he said. “We are looking at creating a parking management strategy in the town centre.”
In fact, Fark said, administration has been undertaking a number of initiatives this year to address parking issues, including creating angle parking in certain locations, expanding the number of stalls downtown and engaging a consultant to conduct a parking study this summer.
Fark said the study will look at all modes of transportation into and out of the downtown core –including pedestrians and cyclists. The study will be the basis of drafting a parking and traffic congestion strategy in the future, he added.
Time limit restrictions, said Fark, are another way to manage parking.
“Restrictions are typical responses to discourage what is seen as a low priority use of parking,” he said. “At this moment we want a trial program for two lots over two months (August and September).
“Based on the results, we will use that information in the overall parking strategy for council decision in the fall.”
The work on parking has been done in consultation with the Downtown Business Association. The four-hour limit was chosen because it is considered the “optimal amount of time to shop, dine or conduct business in an unhurried manner,” Fark said.
The four-hour parking limit, however, will not apply to vehicles from the Town of Canmore’s fleet that are parked in one of the lots affected by this change. There are a total of 122 stalls between the two lots proposed to go to four-hour parking.
Fark noted that staff who park personal vehicles may be affected. It does not apply to parking in front of Elevation Place.
Right now the only parking restrictions in Canmore’s downtown core are for on-street parking with a two-hour limit during business hours.
