Free evening parking in downtown Regina to start an hour earlier at 5 p.m.
Free evening parking in Regina's downtown is going to be rolled back by an hour in an effort to encourage more people to spend their leisure time in the city's core.
City council approved a plan to reduce paid parking hours at city metres to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the current 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during its Wednesday meeting in Henry Baker Hall. Changes to the Regina Traffic Bylaw to lock in the new parking hours will be coming to city council for approval on May 7.
The aim is to bolster vibrancy downtown by incentivizing people to linger in the evenings to patronize restaurants, businesses and local events in the heart of Regina, said said city manager Niki Anderson.
'The goal is to make downtown alive after five,' she said.
Cutting paid parking by one hour will reduce metre revenue by around $39,000 per year and parking ticket fine revenue by about $70,000 per year, according to the report by administration that went to council. It noted bylaw officers will be directed to focus more attention on issuing tickets for improper parking in no parking zones and bus lanes, to offset the loss.
Council also agreed to maintain F.W. Hill Mall, known as Scarth Street Mall, as a pedestrian-only space. Revitalization plans for the one-block promenade between 11th and 12th Avenues are also in the works to entice more foot traffic downtown.
'I think it's a great initiative to try and bring more people downtown, and keep people downtown,' said Mayor Chad Bachynski.
lkurz@postmedia.com
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