Permanent parking measures replace ongoing city trials

Hamilton City Council today took action to recommend a number of long-term parking measures that will replace those trials which have been ongoing in the central city.

The measures are included in Council’s new Parking Management Action Plan. The Plan aims to take a long-term approach to parking management in the city, based in part on sound research on parking availability and sensitivity to parking charges which was gathered as part of the Free Weekend and $1 parking trials.

Most notably, research during the trials established that:

• There is a good supply of parking in the central city but we are not using it well;
• Where parking is made free, staff in CBD businesses continue to occupy premium spaces making them unavailable for potential inner-city customers;
• Reduced charges have increased occupancy at Council-controlled car parks but the increase does not make up for the loss in revenue and it is unknown whether these are new visitors to the city or existing visitors who have ‘transferred’ from public transport or other parking facilities
• As a result of the findings Council are now in a better position to put measures in place that will encourage sustainable growth in current occupancy levels and foster vitality in the central city.

The new long-term measures include:

• Continuing the current $2 per hour fee for on-street parking.
• Ending the free Saturday parking trial combined with time restriction enforcement to ensure there is a good turnover of carparking space for visitors
• Extending the metered P60 parking restriction to P180 to allow greater flexibility for those who wish to use and pay for premium spaces
• Extending the opening hours of the Garden Place car park to establish a standard 10pm closing time seven days a week
• Adjusting parking rates at Council controlled car parks to better influence the parking behaviour most appropriate for the facility, commuter parking versus short stay parking for example (see pricing schedule)
• Support for future investment in new and better meter technology
• Council are also taking steps to significantly improve street side signage for drivers looking for parking and improve their access to central car parking buildings.

Councillor Dave Macpherson, City Planning and Development Committee chair, says “If we are to boost the vitality of the central city, developing user-friendly parking arrangements is a top priority.”

“The information Council received from the parking trials has shown that the issues are much more complex than just providing free parking and it is important that we take the right steps to continue to oversee this issue,” he says.