Overnight parking continues to be an ongoing issue within Milton.
During the Town Council meeting on Monday, October 7th, a new pilot program was approved that could change how residents park their vehicles at night.
The Transitional Neighbourhood Parking Strategy was moved by Regional Councillor for Ward 4, Sameera Ali, and seconded by Regional Councillor for Ward 1, Colin Best. It entails a one-year permit parking program that will allow residents to use designated municipal parks as a replacement for street parking. The program would cost users $60 a month, including taxes, which would offset the cost to establish it. That includes software costs, additional contracted services, signage, administration fees and any potential revenue loss. The price is comparable to neighbouring municipalities with similar programs.
It was recommended by staff that 400 parking permit spaces be provided across the town, with at least 100 spaces provided to each of the four Wards in Milton. Vehicles are expected to be out of their parking spot by 8:00 a.m. each morning, but it was noted in the meeting that this time may change once the proposal is implemented.
Here are the current Milton parks designated for the pilot program in the proposal:
Councillor Ali says that she’s happy seeing creative thinking being used to address local parking, but is concerned about the logistics regarding several planned locations.
Commissioner, Corporate Services for the Town of Milton, Kristene Scott, says with this being a pilot program, staff is working to avoid any unintended consequences, especially as it pertains to local schools. The plan is to see what works and make changes to improve the program as best as possible.
Potential safety issues were also brought up, including vehicle theft. Councillor Ali forwarded comments made by Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner, citing a need for lighting in all lots, as well as potential security cameras. Staff noted they’d talk the suggestions into consideration while the proposal continues to be ironed out.
This strategy was originally proposed as a vital need for ‘Planned Community Growth’ within the Town’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. It would be effective as of January 1st, 2025, but the Town believes it would not be launched until the spring. After the one-year period, staff are instructed to report back to Council with any subsequent recommendations.
Updates are expected to come later this year with the Milton Town-Wide Transportation Master Plan Update.
You can read about the pilot program here.
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