Halifax council considers adding paid weeknight and Saturday parking

Anyone looking for on-street parking in Halifax knows it can be frustrating to find a spot in the downtown core, but commuters should be warned as HRM council considers doing away with free weeknight and weekend parking.

The proposal isn't sitting well with downtown business agencies, including the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, and the Spring Garden Area Business Association. The agencies have signed a letter to council and Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, objecting to the weeknight and weekend parking fee proposal.

"On this one, I'd ask that they [council] just stand down on the evening paid parking and the weekend paid parking," said Tim Rissesco, Executive Director with the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission.

Risessco says adding parking fees on weeknights and Saturdays will not only hurt businesses that are still trying to bounce back from financial setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic but also employees and customers.

"Let people get back up to speed and then consider this [parking fee proposal] again sometime in the future, but not right now."

According to a city staff report, the addition of paid parking on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. would bring $717,249 annually for the municipality, while extending paid parking on weeknights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. would bring in an additional $284,255.

Councillor Waye Mason said he's not in favour of the recommendation right now but says staff are looking at multiple ways of increasing revenue for the municipality while council wrestles with ways to keep the tax increase at four per cent.

Mason said he's heard from businesses in both Halifax and Dartmouth about the parking fee proposal.

"It's something that's being floated since we're having such a difficult budget season," said Mason. "But the response from the businesses in downtown Dartmouth and in Halifax have made it clear they are not interested at this time."

Commuters like Dan Allen warn it could become a deterrent to come and visit and shop downtown.

"Parking is expensive enough as it is," said Allen, who commutes downtown for work. "I would definitely be more inclined to come downtown if I knew I didn't have to pay for parking."

Rissesco says Maritimers in general aren't used to paying for parking on weekends and evenings and says a drastic change to parking fees, like this proposal, requires deeper consultation.

"Our businesses are still struggling to come out of COVID-19 and recoup all the losses for the past two years," says Rissesco. "It's just not a good time to be imposing more costs or obstacles to the businesses or the customers."

Mason says no decision has been made regarding the additional parking fees but council voted to move the item to the budget adjustment list.

"It's looking like it's not something we'll be able to do right now," says Mason. "But I think it's a discussion that we need to have with the downtown businesses and look at the future."

As for the budget, that will be finalized by the end of March.