Paid Evening Parking in Downtown Burlington Are you aware?

In April of 2007, City Council was presented with and approved a Draft Financial Strategy for Parking in Downtown Burlington. At the April 17th meeting of the Community and Corporate Services Committee of Council, delegations spoke to one strategy involving the introduction of paid parking in the Downtown area from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Pam Eddenden, Executive Director of Performing Arts Burlington, spoke against extending the hours of paid parking into the evening and in support of the continuation of free-to-user evening parking in the downtown. Performing Arts Burlington has many member performing arts organizations that will rent the future Performing Arts Centre, located at 440 Locust Street, and downtown business members are impacted by this proposed change in paid parking.

A copy of this PAB presentation can be read on our website.

Content highlights are as follows:

• Community renters of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre will need to build audiences and paid parking will further challenge this growth.


• Current audiences of theatre, music and dance performances are not paying for parking at venues throughout the city.


• The Burlington downtown core is not yet economically strong enough to compete with neighbouring Oakville that has all surface lots and meters free-to-users as of 5 pm.

The perspectives presented in April indicated that paid evening parking appeared to be a new initiative that had not been fully discussed directly within the local stakeholders. As a result, Council authorized a meeting with Downtown Stakeholders on August 8, which Pam participated in on behalf of the organization. On September 18th, 2007 Committee and Council will once again be deliberating on this issue. To advocate on behalf of the PAB membership effectively it is critical that we receive your comments on the important topic.

What are your thoughts?

PAB would like to hear from you! Please post a comment on our blog or email us.