Diana Graham said she got an unpleasant surprise when she went out for dinner and music on Main Street last week.
The longtime Newmarket resident said she had invited friends from Markham for a night out. But they were all unaware of the 30-minute parking limit on Main Street, and got hit by parking tickets.
Graham said having that short a limit does not make sense.
“If they don’t know about the parking situation and come from other areas and are doing things on Main Street, they won’t come back,” Graham said, adding it affected her friends’ impression of the downtown. “They just felt it was uncomfortable, and it left a sour taste.”
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said the town is exploring the time limit for parking on Main Street South. Once a two-hour limit, the 30-minute limit was implemented during pandemic shutdowns to keep customers moving and make takeout easier. But the town and BIA opted to keep it in place last summer as businesses supported it.
Taylor responded to a Facebook post that Graham made about the subject on a community page, which garnered more than 80 comments and a range of opinions.
“We have been asked by the BIA to review this and possibly introduce longer parking times starting at 5 p.m., for example,” Taylor said. “It was kept in place as the consensus was that it was providing good turnover on the street and that long-term parking is very nearby. I believe we can find a good balance and address the concerns raised.”
Main Street BIA chair Tom Hempen said businesses remain supportive of the 30-minute parking limit for the street spaces, as indicated by a survey last year. He said it is significantly increasing traffic compared to the previous two-hour limit.
“It is estimated our previous parking, we were able to accommodate less than 100 people per day on-street parking. Right now, we’re accommodating four times greater than that on a busy day,” he said, adding that those who want to park for longer have other options such as the library and Riverwalk Commons.
But Hempen said the BIA has indeed asked for some more parking time in the evenings. He said retailers start closing around 5 p.m. and it could allow for a better parking situation for restaurants at dinner time.
“I know we’re kind of trying to figure out how to keep everybody happy,” Hempen said.
But he added there is good news in how busy Main Street has become. He said he has heard from some businesses that it was their best Mother’s Day weekend ever.
“It's feeling like pre-COVID again,” he said. “Main Street is the place where people want to be. I know we’re trying to figure out the best parking to best suit everybody, but it’s a good problem to have.”
But Graham said with public health restrictions lifted, Main Street parking should be more open. She said there could also be a mixture, with some spaces open for longer hours and some remaining as is.
“They need to be flexible, and they need to be inviting, or else people will go other places,” she said.
