Councillor Rodrigo Goller is disappointed council shot down his suggestion to review and possibly eliminate the winter overnight on-street parking ban, but he’s not giving up hope for change to the existing system.
“This will now have to wait,” he told GuelphToday, calling Monday’s 9-4 council vote against moving forward with the idea “pretty clear.”
Had it been approved, Goller’s motion could have seen the winter on-street overnight parking ban lifted, or partially lifted, and replaced with a notification system to let residents know when temporary parking restrictions are in effect – at times of residential street plowing.
Similar technology, he previously pointed out, is already in place for solid waste and other city services.
“We created this bylaw a long time ago and technology has changed, our community needs have changed and our needs have changed,” he said. “I was hoping for the opportunity to have a conversation about looking for a better way to keep our roads clear of snow while still accommodating our changing demographics.”
Since Goller first floated the idea last month, he has received a mixed bag of feedback from the public. While some people are frustrated with struggling to find parking during the winter months, and often receive several tickets, others are concerned about the streets being clogged by cars, making it difficult to get around, especially for emergency vehicles.
Goller, who said the winter overnight on-street parking ban was a frequent topic of conversation when he was campaigning for the Ward 2 seat, believes there’s another opportunity on the horizon that may bring about change.
He points to the Downtown Parking Master Plan review set for 2022. If at that time council moves away from free street parking in the downtown and opts for a permit system for street parking, that would establish a program that could be implemented across the city.
“That might be another opportunity to revisit this thing,” he said of the winter ban.
Currently, on-street parking is prohibited throughout the city from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. beginning on Dec. 1 and ending April 1.
