Status quo urged for on-street parking time limit

Increasing the on-street parking time limit would cost at least $330,000 a year and create “negative operational impacts,” a City of Saskatoon report says.

The report that will be considered by city council’s transportation committee Tuesday recommends the limit for vehicles to remain parked on the street stays at 36 hours.

“The current parking time limit provides for timely response to resident concerns and discourages residents from parking junked or inoperable vehicles on residential streets,” the report says.

Former councillor Pat Lorje asked in March of 2014 that city hall administration review the possibility of extending the time limit to 48, 60 or 72 hours. Lorje noted that those who have no other option but to park on the street cannot leave the city for a weekend without risking a ticket for overstaying the 36-hour limit.

Increasing the parking time limit would create challenges for street sweeping and snow removal and require $180,000 to pay for 1,200 more signs, the report says.

The increased cost of rescheduling street sweeping and placing signs with an extended time limit is estimated at $150,000.

The time limit was reduced from 48 hours to 36 hours in 1997 to allow for more convenient street sweeping, snow removal and road construction.

Longtime City Park residents Dennis and Patricia Dowd complained to the transportation committee in August that one of their vehicles was towed from the street in front of their house while they were away on vacation.

The Dowds are skeptical that the tow happened as a result of a complaint.

The couple would like the city to reconsider the time limit or provide some sort of exemption for people like them who do not have a garage or driveway on their property.