Windsor council urged to adopt app-only payment for on-street parking
City staff recommend that Windsor modernize how people pay for on-street parking spaces by adopting an app-only system.
If approved, people who want to pay for parking by cash or card would need to park at a city-operated parking lot or garage.
Passport Canada, the app used to pay for parking that was adopted in 2018, made up 27 per cent, of the city's parking revenue last year.
The majority of people use cash to pay for parking, city data shows, but staff are suggesting the city modernize operations following a council question by downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino.
This is what the app people will need to use to pay for on-street parking spots in Windsor if council moves forward with the recommendation. (Chris Ensing/CBC)
Staff wrote in a report that switching to cashless parking payments for on-street parking will "result in improved efficiency in parking enforcement and revenue collection."
The report also said that the switch will allow for dynamic pricing.
"Modern systems can allow for dynamic pricing based on demand, time of day, or special events, which can optimize parking space utilization and potentially increase revenue," writes the city's co-ordinator of parking service Bill Kralovensky.
He also acknowledged that there's a digital divide that may result in people picking privately owned parking lots to avoid paying with an app.
BIA groups initially concerned about change
Business groups initially had concerns about the move when it first went to council last month, including the Ottawa Street BIA.
"If this council decision passes, the Ottawa Street BIA also worries that it would deter people from coming to the area to shop or eat," wrote BIA president Ettore Bonato.
Bonato took issue with council considering the issue without consulting BIAs ahead of time.
Councillors voted to defer the issue so staff could connect with business groups to hear their concerns.
In a new letter to council sent on Friday, Bonato wrote that he attended a meeting with Kralovensky to get answers to questions the BIA had about the process.
He thanked the city for its co-operation in addressing the BIAs concerns but does not explicitly say if he supports the proposal.
CBC News has reached out to Bonato for clarity. Kralovensky was not available on Friday for an interview and said he would answer questions after the council meeting.
If council moves forward with the app only payment option for on-street parking, it would start on Oct. 15, 2024. The move, if approved, will cost the city $144,745.04.
The majority of the cost is for new cameras that will be used to check who has paid for parking.
Council will also look at new ideas to make more money off of parking operations in the city, including Sunday enforcement that would bring in an estimated $267,000 and increasing the hours when parking enforcement checks the meters.
Each additional hour would bring in $118,000 a year.
The coin collectors at parking spots will remain in place and used as a sign marker telling people what spot they're occupying.
