Pembroke — People choosing to park in downtown Pembroke will have a chance to keep those loonies and toonies in their pockets beginning sometime this November as the city launches a pilot project of free parking on the main street to determine if it has an impact on businesses that depend on customers walking through their front doors.
City council voted last week to begin a six-month pilot project on November 1, allowing two-hour free parking along a stretch of Pembroke Street West between MacKay and Hincks Street.
The issue of free parking is something that has been on the radar of the Pembroke and Area Business Association (PBIA) dating back several years and the recent announcement is good news for PBIA Manager Bethea Summers.
“We have heard for sometime from both the business owners and the general public that free downtown parking should be offered,” she said. “After the election last year Brian (Councillor Abdallah) was appointed to our board as the council representative and he has acted on it. He thought with the current construction taking place on Victoria Street, now would be the time to request free parking.
“With the construction there, it is not known whether or not they will be putting parking meters back in so for now it is free parking so why not extend it to Pembroke Street downtown. They are doing the whole street from Lake Street to Renfrew Street so it will be a really good test.”
Coun. Abdallah, who is serving his first term as a councillor, said now is the time to offer free parking.
“When I ran for election last year, part of my campaign was to offer free parking downtown so we can attract more people to come downtown and buy from local shop-owners,” he told the Leader. “When I was appointed to the PBIA, I suggested they write a letter to council making the request. I suggested they ask for a one-year project and compare it to previous years.”
Along with a one-year timeframe, Coun. Abdallah also suggested the free parking be allowed for the first two hours and after that, payment would be required. He also recommended phasing in the free parking to include side streets rather than do it all at once.
“With the $3 million investment into redoing Victoria Street, the meters have been removed, but free parking is available at nearby lots to compensate,” he said. “I recognize there is a cost to remove them, and they may go back in and we will see how that goes. That is why I recommended only two hours free parking and leave them in place to collect money for any additional time.”
When the issue came before council, there was some resistance among a few councillors over this issue of loss of revenue and a concern the free parking might be abused with some business owners or tenants who live downtown parking in those spots.
Coun. Abdallah’s original motion of a one-year project was scaled back to six months on the suggestion by Mayor LeMay as a way to receive council approval.
“Being a councillor also means being willing to compromise and so we have the six-month project running from November until the end of April,” he said. “It is true that the winter months are traditionally slow, but we have to start sometime. The data we examine will only compare the same six month period from the previous six months.”
The city brings in about $48,000 a year from the 94 meters, and more than $150,000 annually in parking fees and the question of where lost revenue comes from was a concern. There was also some concern of enforcement and the associated costs.
Shelley Kilby of Eganville travels to Pembroke at least twice a week for appointments and was thrilled when she found out about the free parking.
“Sometimes it is tough finding a spot to park close to where we have to go and when I do, I have to put money in the meter,” she said after she parked her car on Pembroke Street West. “We are here at least twice a week all year long, and I will easily spend between $2 or $4 each day. If we are here twice a week over the course of a year that can add to about $400. Free parking would sure be nice and save me some money.”
It is those stories that spur Coun. Abdallah to push his fellow council members towards free parking for all of downtown on a phased-in approach.
“What is good for downtown Pembroke is good for the whole community,” he said. “If you go to Renfrew or Huntsville or Perth, you can walk and shop or sit in a restaurant and not worry about running back to put money in the meter. Our downtown has made great strides in recent years and it’s time to build on that success. It’s vibrant, it’s moving and we’ve done a great deal of work and now is the time to try this and just go from there.”