Photo: Downtown Pembroke
The City of Pembroke is going to extend free parking downtown for an additional six months. The current trial period is set to expire at the end of the year, however council came halfway with the PBIA’s request to include free parking all next year. The new agreement will be in place until June.
Approximately 90 parking meters are involved in this pilot project. The normal average revenue brought in by parking metres is approximately $50,000. The normal average revenue for parking tickets is $49,000.
Also during COVID-19, the By-law Enforcement Department noted the following losses in revenue other than parking meters lost revenue. Parking Permits-During Algonquin College’s Fall 2021 term,the campus is open only for required academic activity and limited support services. Only those students and employees required to be onsite will be permitted.The City saw a loss of revenue in 2021 for parking permits in the amount of $22,500.
In 2020, $29,315 was generated and it is anticipated in 2021, approximately $30,000 will be generated. Therefore, the City is well below the pre-COVID revenues. In 2020, due to COVID as well as the free 2-hour parking initiative only $11,138 was generated from the parking meters. At this point in 2021, $2,016 has been received as of the end of August, 2021. It is anticipated $3,000 will be the revenue generated for parking meters. There are presently 253 two-hour parking spaces presently available in the downtown parking lots. Some concerns have been noted with the 2-hour free parking at the meters. Meters being used by business owners and staff. They are not leaving these spaces open for customers.
Bases on information provided to council, it is anticipated that the 2-hour free parking initiative saw a loss in revenue of approximately $47,000 from metered parking spaces in 2021.