By Dominic Abassi

Two hour free parking eliminated in areas of downtown Nanaimo, new meters installed

Nov 21, 2016 | 3:20 PM

NANAIMO — The city of Nanaimo is changing the way people pay for parking in the downtown core, eliminating some free parking in the process.

Over the next two weeks, the city is removing single space meters and replacing them with multi-space pay parking machines, similar to what would be used in off street lots. At the same time, spaces that are currently two hour free parking will be converted to pay spots. The initial change will happen in the areas of Front, Skinner and Commercial Streets, according to manager of bylaw regulation and security Rod Davidson.

“These new machines are going to be asking you to enter your vehicle’s licence plate number,” said Davidson. “You don’t have to go back to your car…the time that you purchase will stay with your car.”

Davidson says thanks to that feature people won’t have to pay for more time if they change streets in the downtown core and are making multiple stops. He says the new machines accept credit cards and coins right now. In the near future, a pay-by-phone option will be added, according to Davidson.

“It will be a downloaded app that will allow you to initiate a parking session…you get the convenience of not having to run your credit card or carry change. It will also send you a text message when your parking session is about to expire so you can either extend your session or move your vehicle,” said Davidson.

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He says there will be limited single space meters left downtown, with some remaining in places where there are only a few spaces on a street or where there are large hills. There will also be less free parking around the downtown core with the new machines coming in. Davidson says two hour free parking spots will be converted to pay parking. He says the majority of those roughly 50 or 60 spots are currently on Commercial Street and Promenade Drive. The two hour free spots will remain on Victoria Crescent and Victoria Road for the time being, he says.

In all, 20 machines are being installed and the total cost of the project will be $250,000, according to Davidson. He says that money is coming from the parking reserve fund, not general revenue. He says this is a project that is part of the traffic management plan and has been in the works since 2014. The Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association has also been involved, Davidson says.

He says they are now working with stakeholders on the replacement of more single space meters in the Old City Quarter, Dunsmuir and Albert Street areas. The city’s free evening and weekend parking promotion will continue.