Prince George City Council received an update on the ongoing parking modernization study at this week’s meeting.
The report was presented by Manager of Transportation Planning at LEA Consulting, Robert Keel.
The study makes 25 recommendations and provides comment on a possible implementation strategy to improve parking in the downtown and hospital parking zones.
The next step is for staff to review the recommendations and provide City Council with options for implementation, with the intent to minimize disruption to residents and businesses while being effective in terms of timing, cost and resources.
The recommendations within the report are wide-ranging, including plans for parking in the Civic Core District, improving safety and security in City off-street parking lots, and improving signage and availability of accessible spots in the hospital zone.
The study involved a background document review, including the Official Community Plan and Civic Core District Plan, a best practice review from comparable municipalities in both B.C. and Alberta, a review of existing parking conditions, resident and interested party feedback, and a review of crime prevention through environmental design principles to determine current deficiencies and identify opportunities.
At this week’s meeting, Council discussed the potential risks and benefits of adjusting paid parking downtown, as well as changing the three-hour time for downtown free parking to two hours, as suggested in the report.
The next phase is to have Council vote on an implementation plan, which is expected later this year.
The implementation plan will focus on implementing the short-term, low-cost goals including updating the existing bylaws and improving signage within the hospital zone.
According to the City, requests for larger, more costly recommendations will be presented to the Finance and Audit Committee ahead of the 2026 budget and capital plan deliberations this fall, or as part of future capital plan discussions.
“Working with LEA Consulting on the study has been a valuable experience for the City,” said Director of Administrative Services Eric Depenau.
“The usage surveys LEA conducted show that there are several areas where parking utilization is low, particularly in off-street lots, and gives clear recommendations on how our parking system may best be structured to meet future demands. Alongside advice for accessibility and security updates, we now have a much stronger vision to work towards.”
The review of parking in the downtown and hospital zones started last year.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
