Free parking might be making a comeback in downtown London. City staff want to bring back one hour of free parking through the Honk Mobile App for on-street spots in Downtown London, Richmond Row, and Midtown until the end of this year.
The proposal goes to council’s Community and Protective Services Committee. It’ll cost about $300,000 in mobile app fees and lost revenue. For local business owners who’ve been hurting since the previous parking incentive ended, it can’t come soon enough.
Wes Heney runs Wes the Barber in the Old East Village. He’s watched the parking situation hit his business hard. He estimates about 75 per cent of his clients used the free parking code, and they’re still asking why it doesn’t work when they show up for appointments.
“They’ve walked in asking why doesn’t the code work anymore. It adds an expense on top of the cost of the service they’re already coming in for,” Heney said.
The parking situation has become a sore point for locals. Despite London being a car-centric city of 400,000 people, it’s particularly bad at actually accommodating cars in its downtown core.
Rates have jumped. Behind Banting House, what used to cost one dollar for an hour now runs $2.75. That’s killed lunch-time business for nearby spots like Willie’s Cafe. With parking tickets running $40, a quick downtown visit isn’t worth the gamble for a lot of people.
The downtown core hasn’t bounced back from the pandemic. Various construction projects and ongoing social issues have made it harder for businesses to attract customers. There are still businesses open and things happening, but the area often looks quieter than it should, especially on weekends when bus service drops off.
Current parking rules do offer some relief during off-peak times. From York Street to Queens Avenue and from Ridout to Wellington, on-street metered parking is free after 6pm Monday to Friday, free for two hours on Saturdays, and free all day on Sundays. The core area also has 40 parking lots beyond street parking spaces.
The debate about how to revitalize downtown keeps going. Some argue that free parking just subsidizes more traffic and that a thriving downtown should be able to support paid parking. Others say until the area gets back to its former state, incentives like free parking are essential to draw people back to local businesses.
Local business owners are hoping free parking will help them compete with suburban shopping areas that offer ample free parking. The proposed one-hour free window would give people enough time for quick errands, lunch meetings, or brief shopping trips without worrying about meters or $40 fines.
For London’s core area businesses, the potential return of free parking is more than a financial break for customers. It’s a signal that city hall gets the unique challenges facing downtown entrepreneurs.
Staff noted that stickers on parking kiosks still show the “CORE promo code” for a free hour, even though the program ended. That’s adding to customer confusion about what the actual parking policies are.
The proposal needs council approval before it happens. What do you think—will one hour of free parking make a difference for downtown, or is it going to take more than that?