Paid parking returns to St. Catharines streets, lots and garages; begins at beach lots on June 2

With the provincial stay-at-home order nearing completion, the City of St. Catharines is set to resume paid parking at on-street meter spaces, off-street lots and garages – in addition to the initiation of new paid parking at City beaches.

Earlier this year City Council had approved temporary free parking in response to the provincial restrictions in an effort to support businesses that continued to operate during the shutdown. With reopening set to take place later this month, paid parking will return on June 2.

“As businesses reopen under the phased provincial framework, drawing both visitors and employees downtown, demand for parking, most notably convenient on-street meter spaces, will continue to increase,” said Lisa Read, manager of revenue. “As we prepare for demand to increase, bringing regular parking operations and enforcement back online is critical in ensuring there are spaces for those who need them as we work to rebuild our local economy in the wake of COVID-19.”

Free curbside parking will continue at designated spaces downtown, in Port Dalhousie and on Facer Street, offering 15-minute parking for individuals who are accessing local businesses for pickup and takeout. Those wishing to utilize the paid parking are also reminded that they can use Honk Mobile app for contactless payment at parking lots and on-street spaces. The app is available via the Google Play and Apple App Store. For more information, visit www.honkmobile.com.

Monthly permit holders for garages already received notification that automatic payments would resume on May 31 as part of the return of paid parking.

Beach Parking begins June 2

June 2 also marks the start of paid parking at St. Catharines beaches as part of the beach strategy approved by City Council.

Access to beaches remains free for all visitors, but parking enforcement and fines will be stepped up in nearby special provision areas, alongside the introduction of $3-per-hour paid parking at beach lots and the meters on Lakeport Road in Port Dalhousie with a non-extendible three-hour time limit, between June 2 and Sept. 30. Offsite long-term parking will be provided free of charge, with connections to beaches via the City’s active transportation network.

St. Catharines residents can still apply for a Resident Beach Parking Pass, allowing for free parking with no time limit at the Sunset Beach and Lakeside Park lots. Passes are available to St. Catharines residents only and can be registered to up to two licence plates, but are limited to one per household. Passes do not guarantee a parking spot. Details can be found online at www.stcatharines.ca/beaches.

The City is currently processing requests and mailing out passes. Due to the volume of passes, we are asking for the patience of community members. In the interim, residents attending the beach without a pass will be provided with a temporary beach pass (with proof of residency) that will be valid until June 13. After June 14, resident parking beach passes will be required to park at both beach lots, or vehicles will be subjected to the hourly cost and time restrictions.

Contact:

citizensfirst@stcatharines.ca