The three-hour parking limit on streets without posted hours could be doubled under a new city proposal.



City staff are collecting feedback on an idea to extend the parking limit to six hours during weekends and statutory holidays on streets that don’t have signs displaying the parking hours.



In Ottawa, the assumed maximum parking limit between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. is three hours on streets that don’t have the parking rules posted. Most residential streets outside the core neighbourhoods would fall into this category.



It’s common for the city’s traffic department to receive requests from councillors or residents to change the street parking rules, sometimes because of safety concerns. Council recently formalized a petition process for residents who want to change the parking rules in their communities.



The street parking rules in Ottawa are similar to other cities. According to the city, all major municipalities have parking rules for streets without posted parking hours. About half of the cities examined by staff use three hours as the maximum time limit.





(At the same time, it’s a bit easier to park on Ottawa streets. Staff learned Ottawa is unique in allowing overnight parking in the winter).



For now, the city is interested in the weekend and holiday parking limits on unsigned streets.



One of the reasons is because councillors flagged the three-hour parking restriction when staff asked them what bylaws should be reviewed during this term of council.



Staff heard four specific concerns raised by councillors that were documented in a 2015 report. The identities of the councillors who raised the concerns aren’t included in the report.



Councillors said many residents aren’t even aware of the three-hour parking limit on streets without posted parking rules. It becomes a problem when homeowners have limited parking on their own properties, they argued.



The three-hour limit should not apply on weekends because people like having company over “but are afraid” because of the restrictions, councillors told staff.



Councillors also suggested that the city should consider leniency on weekends and holidays “particularly to ensure that we do not prevent families from getting together.”



Another suggestion called for staff to consider the three-hour restriction in “the suburban context,” with one suggestion calling for the end of the three-hour limit on weekends only in communities outside the greenbelt.



Under the proposal floated by staff, vehicles could be allowed to park for six consecutive hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays.



The city is collecting feedback through a short survey until Aug. 22 before deciding whether to change the parking policy.



jwilling@postmedia.com



twitter.com/JonathanWilling