Initiative 2023 Budget - Parking Meters On 1st Avenue NW
By Robert Thomas
Problems with people understanding the “new” lane configuration heading north will have Council considering spending $36,000 to install parking meters on the east side of 1st Avenue NW from Manitoba Street West to Oxford Street West
At Monday afternoon’s regular Council meeting the decision was made to refer the matter to Budget 2023 discussions starting this Wednesday, November 30.
The initiative comes on the heels of a recommendation by the Public Works, Infrastructure and Environmental Advisory Committee (PWIEAC) to Council that parking meters be installed.
“If you have been up 1st Avenue (North) and all of us have, and Councillor (Doug) Blanc brought this up awhile ago there has been some confusion around turning lanes and centering lanes (and the like). They’ve done a good job re-centering these signs with the lanes but things are getting better but adding the meters I think would be the last step,” Councillor Jamie Logan Council’s representative said.
A report estimates the $36,000 cost of installing the 22 meters will be repaid from meter revenues over five years. The meter revenue is estimated to be $320 annually ($7,040 annually for all meters).
“It supports the new lane alignment on 1st Avenue (NW) as well it has opportunity for increased revenues,” city engineer Bevan Harlton said.
Councillor Heather Eby said she had noticed people taking advantage of a section of 1st Avenue NW where there are no meters and no signage people parking for free across the street from the Moose Jaw Event Centre (former Mosaic Place).
“I actually noticed in the mornings coming Downtown there are people parking along 1st Avenue right by Mosaic Place there. And I only noticed it recently and at first it kind of shocked me those people are in the driving lane and you are in the turning lane. But it isn’t a turning lane it is actually a parking zone. There are probably four or five cars there everyday now parking for free,” Councillor Eby said.
“Maybe it is time to look at this because I didn’t realize you could park there (for free)…so I think parking meters would help in that,” she said, adding “I don’t think we were wrong to wait to do this now it has been a process but I look forward to it at the budget.”
The need for the meters comes after a 2019 decision to change 1st Avenue NW from Caribou Street West to Manitoba Street West from two lanes each way to a single lane with a shared center turning lane.
The most recent design plan of 1st Avenue NW shows one lane going either north or south and a shared center turning lane - City of Moose Jaw
Despite the change many people have been driving the section of roadway as if there are two lanes on the east side of the 1st Avenue NW as well as the Moose Jaw Police Service have been stopping people for driving properly and not allowing them into the “outside lane.”
A previous attempt to have the meters installed in 2020 was voted against by Council due to the costs and the need to keep the City’s budget demands lower.
Council voted unanimously to refer the request to Budget 2023 deliberations.