Getting rid of parking meters a 'terrible' decision, Winnipeg drivers say

CBC News

· Posted: May 21, 2025 12:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

As Winnipeg prepares to region wage stations astatine on-street parking and city-run aboveground tons this summer, immoderate drivers accidental a cellphone app doesn't enactment good capable to service arsenic a replacement.

The City of Winnipeg said Wednesday it volition statesman removing each metropolis wage stations connected July 2, and each of the meters volition beryllium gone by Aug. 31. 

Once they're gone, drivers volition beryllium expected to wage for on-street parking utilizing prepaid parking booklets oregon PayByPhone, which is disposable arsenic a mobile app (for iOS and Android). It's besides available online or by phone astatine 1-888-680-7275.

Private lots, similar the ones tally by Impark, volition support their wage stations, and meters successful the Millennium Library parkade volition stay.

Tyler Rogers, who owns a concern successful the Exchange District, says it's "hit and miss" whether the city's wage stations are successful moving order, but the aforesaid is existent for the app replacing them.

"It's conscionable a unspeakable app," according to Rogers, who said he's received aggregate parking tickets aft the app didn't enactment properly. 

"You request to get a amended app … successful 2025, erstwhile I tin spell connected my telephone and virtually bash anything. I tin publication a travel to Bali mode easier than I tin wage for parking downtown," helium said. 

In a Wednesday quality release, the city said the alteration is needed due to the fact that the meters volition halt working as Canada's mobile work providers signifier retired 3G networks. The determination not to regenerate them means the metropolis volition prevention $3.6 cardinal successful replacement costs and $1 cardinal successful yearly operating costs.

That leaves drivers with the PayByPhone work — which the metropolis says is already utilized for much than 80 per cent of each paid parking transactions — oregon the prepaid parking booklets, which tin beryllium bought astatine the Parking Store astatine 495 Portage Ave. 

They'll besides beryllium disposable astatine 1 of the city's 311 counters successful the City Hall gathering astatine 510 Main St. (on the main floor) and Access St. Boniface astatine 170 Goulet St.

The metropolis is encouraging drivers to hole for the alteration by downloading the parking app, which it says allows users to wage for and adhd clip from anyplace by using a debit oregon recognition card.

Kaiyra Delaronde, who drives to work, said she finds the app relatively casual to use, but worries that taking distant meters volition marque paying for parking harder for those who don't person recognition cards oregon phones.

"It's conscionable not arsenic convenient arsenic throwing immoderate alteration I person into the machine," said Delaronde, adding she finds it hard to find parking astir of the time.

She has to hunt for a spot multiple times passim her shift, she told Radio-Canada.

"Right present for parking, I'm utilizing the app connected my phone, truthful I person my recognition paper linked connected there, and each 2 hours I person to repay and determination my car," Delaronde said.

Alex Hiscott, who was downtown for a day solemnisation Wednesday, said she prefers to usage the app, but thinks removing parking meters is simply a "terrible" decision. 

Pay stations assistance radical fig retired wherever to park, Hiscott said, but she thinks that whitethorn beryllium harder without the ocular cue of a meter.

"It's beneficial to person both, but not conscionable the app itself," she said.  

The metropolis said it volition instal PayByPhone signage arsenic wage stations are removed. 

Business proprietor Rogers said uncovering parking downtown is "not casual connected the champion of days," and thinks the metropolis should beryllium moving to trim barriers that mightiness support radical from visiting.

"Post-COVID … getting radical to travel downtown and walk wealth is hard enough," helium said. "Putting different obstruction successful beforehand of them, similar uncovering parking and making it hard for them to wage for parking, is conscionable thing that we don't need."