Little Italy's big parking problem
Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: May 1, 2015, Last Updated: May 1, 2015 2:57 PM EDT
The city might have to build a new parking garage in Little Italy because some developers have been allowed to construct new condo buildings without enough parking for visitors and customers.
The situation forces guests to fight for spots on nearby streets and could further fuel the rising issue of illegal parking.
These conclusions are contained in a new neighbourhood parking study the transportation committee is set to discuss at its meeting next Wednesday.
Demand for parking in Little Italy is only expected to grow in the coming years as proposed condominium projects begin to fill up with residents. As many as 15 buildings are expected to be built in the area that was studied, which is bounded by Albert Street to the north, Carling Avenue to the south, Booth and Bell streets to the east and the O-Train corridor to the west.
Seven additional towers are to be built just west of the O-Train corridor.
All of this intensification, the report says, means Little Italy’s population could grow by 63 per cent by 2031, and yet, between 2011 and 2014, a number of developments were given the green light even though the builders requested parking space reductions through zoning bylaw amendments.
A total of 265 required visitor or commercial spaces were not included in new developments approved on Carling Avenue and Norman, Preston and Rochester streets.
And because city data shows the majority of people headed to the area travel by car, failure to provide the required visitor or commercial parking will “only add pressure to the current supply of on-street parking,” the report says.
“It’s just going to exacerbate the problem,” said Lori Mellor, the executive director of the Preston Street Business Improvement Association.
She said city council and the planning department approve so-called transit-oriented developments — greater intensification near major rapid transit stops — even though the neighbourhood lacks amenities such as a grocery store, so many residents are still forced to own cars.
“Luxury condo dwellers are not taking the bus,” Mellor said.
Illegal parking — specifically, drivers who are ticketed for parking within an inappropriate zone or time — is most common in the area south of the Queensway and on Rochester Street. The report says its prevalence indicates that drivers who cannot find available or convenient parking will resort to illegal parking.
Finding on-street parking in this area exceeds the maximum capacity on weekday and Saturday evenings, and off-street public parking is nearing capacity during the day on weekdays.
But the off-street parking is not being utilized to same extent on weekdays evenings or on weekends. And when paid parking is in effect, parking is most in demand during the weekday noon-hour, when it exceeds practical capacity, the report says.
That means city staff may have to put a high priority on increasing the parking supply within this area, which could involve the “construction of a new facility or a partnership with a developer.”
In the meantime, the report recommends making it cheaper to park a little further afield to draw more people away from where demand is highest.
Short- and long-term parking fees at the municipal lot (301 Preston St.) will be reduced, as well as on-street rates along Rochester Street and to the east.
The study uncovered differing opinions about parking enforcement in Little Italy: Business owners and patrons thinks it’s too aggressive; residents say it’s too relaxed and that more needs to be done to address illegally parked cars obstructing driveways and sidewalks.
Parking: By the numbers
$16.29 million: Combined total of on-street and off-street parking revenue collected in 2014, up from $15.79 million in 2013
$9.15 million: Operating expenses in 2014, up from $7.83 million in 2013
6,650: Combined number of paid on-street and off-street parking spaces managed by the City of Ottawa
34.4: Percentage of pay-and-display transactions conducted with a credit card, up from 30.9 per cent in 2013
2,584: Bicycle parking spaces managed by the city, including 2,542 ring and post spaces and 42 spaces in various off-street parking lots
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