The city finally reversed the decision and brought back the hour of free parking. It has been a long and draining road but we held our ground. Keep an eye on the garages to be sure the machines reflect this change correctly.
April 3, 2016
Final supporters
Save One Hour Free Parking in Downtown Parking Garages
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) implores you to sign this petition and help us SAVE the one hour free parking in downtown parking garages.
The City of Windsor eliminated the one hour free parking in all municipally-owned parking garages, effective January 1, 2016; and will increase on-street parking rates by $0.25 an hour this summer.
The DWBIA is strongly opposed to these changes for the following reasons:
- They disincentivise visitation to the city centre. The free one-hour parking is convenient to visitors coming downtown for short periods of time, and our merchants find that many of their clients are more inclined to frequent their places of business as a result thereof. The DWBIA has already fielded complaints in this regard.
- The free one hour parking also supports downtown residents who are utilizing the services of personal support workers, visitors and family.
- The one hour free parking is an added bonus to visitors attending the Downtown Farmers Market and the many events held in the city centre and at Riverfront Festival Plaza.
- Downtown Windsor merchants need the impetus of free one hour parking in municipal garages to help attract visitors, and the elimination thereof is detrimental to downtown business opportunities and quality of life.
- These changes contravene the City's strategic vision of increasing visitation and foot traffic in the core.
Please sign the petition and help us save our downtown businesses! It is our hope that this petition will help City Council realize the potentially dire effects of their decision, and therefore consider the reversal thereof.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Updates
January 30, 2016
We just hit 1,000 signatures on this. My eyes are tired and the climb feels long but seeing this number tells me we are not alone in this fight.
Reached 1,000 supporters
January 27, 2016
January 25, 2016
The feedback from local business owners keeps coming in and it confirms that this change is hurting our downtown core. I am exhausted by the silence from the city officials but I remain committed to seeing this through.
Reached 100 supporters
January 8, 2016
385 Comments
I work downtown and pay for parking. I tell all our clients how easy it is to eat, shop, and conduct their business. I used to specifically mention the free hour at the parking garage. Unfortunately, cannot offer that to clients anymore.
the hour of free parking downtown affords me the time to park and get to my merchant and back to my car comfortably and not waste that hour and the gas and add to the congestion looking for a spot so i can just run in. don't be penny wise and pound foolish
One hour free parking has been at that garage for as long as I can remember. When doing service calls it has saved me money quite a bit. People will stop shopping downtown without it. Ouellette ave will become a bigger ghost town with art work in all the store fronts
This is a draw for me to go downtown. Most things I do are done within the hour and it's super convenient. What it effectively does is eliminate some people from going downtown. Seems counter productive and a very short sided idea by the City.
Please keep the one hour free parking spots. I use it especially to be able to attend Weekday Noon Mass at St Alphonsus Roman Catholic church. The church has only 5 parking spaces and so having the option to park for free is very helpful.
Just bleeding us poor people dry.
Any increased parking revenues from this will be offset by the loss of commercial taxes. Eventually further losses will be incurred covering vacant buildings.
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The city finally reversed the decision and brought back the hour of free parking. It has been a long and draining road but we held our ground. Keep an eye on the garages to be sure the machines reflect this change correctly.
April 3, 2016
Final supporters
Save One Hour Free Parking in Downtown Parking Garages
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) implores you to sign this petition and help us SAVE the one hour free parking in downtown parking garages.
The City of Windsor eliminated the one hour free parking in all municipally-owned parking garages, effective January 1, 2016; and will increase on-street parking rates by $0.25 an hour this summer.
The DWBIA is strongly opposed to these changes for the following reasons:
- They disincentivise visitation to the city centre. The free one-hour parking is convenient to visitors coming downtown for short periods of time, and our merchants find that many of their clients are more inclined to frequent their places of business as a result thereof. The DWBIA has already fielded complaints in this regard.
- The free one hour parking also supports downtown residents who are utilizing the services of personal support workers, visitors and family.
- The one hour free parking is an added bonus to visitors attending the Downtown Farmers Market and the many events held in the city centre and at Riverfront Festival Plaza.
- Downtown Windsor merchants need the impetus of free one hour parking in municipal garages to help attract visitors, and the elimination thereof is detrimental to downtown business opportunities and quality of life.
- These changes contravene the City's strategic vision of increasing visitation and foot traffic in the core.
Please sign the petition and help us save our downtown businesses! It is our hope that this petition will help City Council realize the potentially dire effects of their decision, and therefore consider the reversal thereof.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Updates
January 30, 2016
We just hit 1,000 signatures on this. My eyes are tired and the climb feels long but seeing this number tells me we are not alone in this fight.
Reached 1,000 supporters
January 27, 2016
January 25, 2016
The feedback from local business owners keeps coming in and it confirms that this change is hurting our downtown core. I am exhausted by the silence from the city officials but I remain committed to seeing this through.
Reached 100 supporters
January 8, 2016
385 Comments
One hour free parking is very valuable for businesses such as my own who have clients coming downtown to meet up for a short period of time. Very disappointed that we have to fight to keep this in a city that claims to be so focused on improving its downtown.
I work downtown and pay for parking. I tell all our clients how easy it is to eat, shop, and conduct their business. I used to specifically mention the free hour at the parking garage. Unfortunately, cannot offer that to clients anymore.
the hour of free parking downtown affords me the time to park and get to my merchant and back to my car comfortably and not waste that hour and the gas and add to the congestion looking for a spot so i can just run in. don't be penny wise and pound foolish
One hour free parking has been at that garage for as long as I can remember. When doing service calls it has saved me money quite a bit. People will stop shopping downtown without it. Ouellette ave will become a bigger ghost town with art work in all the store fronts
This is a draw for me to go downtown. Most things I do are done within the hour and it's super convenient. What it effectively does is eliminate some people from going downtown. Seems counter productive and a very short sided idea by the City.
Please keep the one hour free parking spots. I use it especially to be able to attend Weekday Noon Mass at St Alphonsus Roman Catholic church. The church has only 5 parking spaces and so having the option to park for free is very helpful.
Just bleeding us poor people dry.
Any increased parking revenues from this will be offset by the loss of commercial taxes. Eventually further losses will be incurred covering vacant buildings.
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One hour free parking is very valuable for businesses such as my own who have clients coming downtown to meet up for a short period of time. Very disappointed that we have to fight to keep this in a city that claims to be so focused on improving its downtown.