There will be no new parking bylaws implemented in the Town of The Blue Mountains (TBM) this spring. Instead, town staff will be taking the summer to compile complaint and ticket-issuance data.
“Over the past year, and particularly this spring, we have received hundreds of comments and opinions with regards to parking throughout the town. And, not just related to COVID restrictions, but parking wholesale,” said Will Thomson, director of legal services for TBM.
“Our best source of information is the public and the experience of the residents and visitors over the summer will be highly instructive as we approach a fulsome parking review,” he continued.
TBM’s parking restrictions were adjusted in the spring of 2020 as the town began managing increasing tourist pressures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those restrictions were later extended by town council into the fall and winter seasons.
Town staff had previously committed to presenting council with a new, comprehensive parking bylaw this spring, however, Thomson, said doing so now would be “premature.”
“The reality that we arrived at was we were trying to make these kinds of decisions in response to the reality of COVID. And, we were really chasing our tails to a certain extent and didn't have the opportunity to really analyze how those restrictions were playing out,” Thomson said during a committee of the whole meeting held on Tuesday.
He explained that instead of implementing a new parking bylaw now, town staff will be spending the upcoming summer compiling complaint and ticket-issuance data to help identify areas with acute parking issues.
“There are two primary variables which remain in [a state of] flux and will be important factors in reviewing future parking restrictions: COVID-19 and summer parking data,” Thomson stated.
Over the next four months, TBM staff will be tracking the location of all issued parking tickets through a GIS system, as well as compiling and indexing all parking-related comments and complaints received through the bylaw department and town hall.
Following a summer of data collection and analysis, staff hope to provide precise and effective parking restrictions, which will allow for better identification of signage needs and improved budget estimates.
In the meantime, the parking restrictions that have been in place over the past year in TBM have been extended to Oct. 29.
“Staff would like to remind the public that parking restrictions are only in force where signage is installed, which may not necessarily be the entirety of a regulated road, but only in areas where safety or visibility is a concern,” Thomson said, adding that the town’s operation department is currently in the process of placing and replacing no-parking signs around town.
In addition to the parking restrictions, TBM’s paid parking program for non-residents will be actively in place in area hotspots, such as Northwinds Beach.
The parking restrictions and paid parking program will be enforced by the town’s bylaw department.
“We will have a six-person compliment once we're fully staffed up. They'll be busy all summer, but I do think we have enough capacity to manage the influx of visitors we're anticipating,” Thomson continued.
TBM has plans to roll out a dedicated online comment portal for parking complaints and issues. The portal will be available through the town’s parking enforcement webpage. The town will make an announcement when the portal is launched.
In the meantime, all parking complaints and concerns can be directed to the town’s bylaw department.
