NEWS RELEASE
TOWN OF NEWMARKET
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The Town of Newmarket has re-implemented the Town’s Off Street Parking Program to allow residents to park in select municipal lots overnight between the hours of 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. with a permit, while winter parking restrictions are in effect.
“The pandemic has shifted how we live, work and play, and one of the changes our Town By-law team noted was with more people staying home, there weren’t enough parking spots on the property,” says Mayor Taylor. “As a Town we’ve adjusted our parking enforcement strategy to give more flexibility. The Off Street Parking Program pilot last year showed there is a need, which is why Council has brought it back permanently and we hope more residents take advantage of the option.”
All residents will be eligible to apply for and obtain a temporary parking exemption permit through the Town's online parking portal by providing their vehicle information. Residents will be permitted to park in one of four parking lots in designated spots, which include:
- Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive)
- Magna Centre (800 Mulock Drive)
- Ray Twinney Recreation Complex (100 Eagle Street)
- Downtown Newmarket – P3 Parking Lot (Doug Duncan Drive)
All permits will be issued electronically and without the need to print or place a hardcopy permit within vehicles. Upon registering their vehicles online, residents will be provided with important information in relation to the rules and regulations for parking within Town-owned lots on a first come first serve basis. This will include informing each resident that vehicles must be relocated by 7 a.m. each morning to allow for safe snow removal.
Allowing vehicles to park overnight in a designated municipal parking lot will limit the impact of snow clearing operations and provides flexibility for residents to be able to relocate their vehicles on-street after 7 a.m. and in compliance with the Town's Parking By-law during daytime hours. Vehicles can be ticketed if parked on the street between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. throughout the winter season. The program will be in effect until April 15, 2022 when overnight parking restrictions discontinue on a seasonal basis.
The Off Street Parking Program is a positive example of an initiative created to solve new challenges the pandemic created which will be continued. During the initial pilot program, which ran Dec. 23, 2020 to April 15, 2021, nearly 100 permits were issued, amounting to an average of less than one per day. With the program now in place permanently, the Town aims to increase usage and encourages residents to take advantage of the extra parking spaces when hosting friends and family this holiday season.
For more information regarding the off-street parking program visit newmarket.ca/parkingexemptions.
Have feedback on the program? Staff has committed to reporting back to Council on the success of the program following the seasonal overnight parking restrictions currently in effect. Residents can share their feedback with the Town anytime. Email the Town at [email protected] or call Customer Service at 905-895-5193 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m to 5 p.m.).
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