On March 20, 2024 with no notice to the community, the City of Edmonton Urban Planning Committee voted to end the residential parking program in Rossdale and some other communities in Edmonton starting May 31, 2024. The community league has written to Council to express serious concerns about this decision. If you would like to express your concern please message the following:
parkingassets@edmonton.ca
anne.stevenson@edmonton.ca
amarjeet.sohi@edmonton.ca
The following letter was written on behalf of the RCL board.
Sent: Wednesday, 20 March, 2024 21:35:21
Subject: Residential parking program
To members of the Urban Planning Committee and Mayor Sohi,
Please note I have also copied the City department for residential parking and Steve Hogle, the Manager of the Riverhawks baseball club at Remax Field.
I am currently the Acting President of Rossdale Community League. The Board voted on March 20, 2024 that I should bring to your attention our urgent concerns about the ending of the residential parking program in Rosssdale. I would like to make the following points:
• Despite having a residential parking program for many years, the community was not given notice or any information that plans were underway to end the program. Our own Councillor is chair of this committee- yet we knew nothing.
• Rossdale is home to ReMax field. Currently we have parking restrictions during major stadium events and every day before 10 a,m. In the morning.
• Rossdale is a small community of a few blocks with extremely narrow streets and small street frontage for most properties.
• Prior to the parking program being in effect in Rossdale- on ball game days we would experience endless cars and trucks circling the neighbourhood looking to park for free as opposed to paying for parking in the ReMax field lots. Even when all the spaces were taken in the neighbourhood cars would continue to circle and look for space. Cars would line the streets. Litter would line the streets after games and on late game nights crowds would return to their cars very noisily. The parking brings with it anti social behaviour.
• It does not matter whether 500 people or 5000 people attend the ball game- they will still be circling the streets looking for free parking.
• On special game days such as July 1 - the effect on Rossdale is unbearable even with the parking program. Without the parking program it will be wild and dangerous. I would add the Folk Festival as another example of a time when people will park for free rather than pay or use transit.
• Every year the Riverhawks rent out ReMax Field for other events which are different each year. Who knows if 500 or 5000 people will attend these different events - yet we will have no parking program to prevent people parking in our neighbourhood. Basing the decision on a stated number for attendance is meaningless when events vary so much.
• Opening up the parking on Rossdale streets will immediately affect the revenue of the Riverhawks in their paid parking lots. I cannot say this enough times- people will walk further from their car if it’s free parking.
• In addition, due to proximity to downtown we would experience people parking all day in Rossdale rather than pay for parking downtown. Hence the restriction before 10 a.m.
I understand that this ending of the permit program is based upon a curbside management strategy which aims to ensure the street belongs to everyone and that no-one has “ownership” of the street outside their house. I understand it is felt a balance is achieved of managing shared assets for everyone’s use and benefit by allowing anyone to park anywhere.
My letter to you is not about saving spots outside mine and my neighbours houses for our own use. In Rossdale it is already quite common not to be able to park outside your own house just from neighbour activity. This is about the location of Rossdale, the fact that people will be circling our neighbourhood in endless trains of cars to find free parking spaces no matter how many people are at the ball game or other events and, during the day we will be overrun with downtown parkers. In addition, the unrestricted parking in Rossdale brings with it anti social behaviour.
I am afraid I see no balance there for the residents of Rossdale. The balance is firmly tipped towards those who want to escape paying for parking either downtown or at the ball park. This is what you are enabling with this policy.
The community would appreciate a response to these serious concerns.
Lynn Parish
Rossdale Community League