Saskatoon city council gives amended Residential Parking Permit bylaw the green light

Residents in high-traffic neighbourhoods near Saskatoon’s hospitals, schools and businesses now have a way to ease some of the congestion.

At Monday’s meeting, city council unanimously approved changes to the Residential Parking Permit (RPP) program.

According to administration, the program hasn’t changed much since 1999.

• Some of the changes in the new Amendment Bylaw 2021 include:
• Removing the limit of one permit per licensed driver, and instead to establish a limit of three permits per household;
• Allowing for people living next to parking zones to also get parking permits;
• The ability for the City of Saskatoon to either restrict or cancel permits of those who have been found to be abusing the permitting system;
• Allowing for certain non-profit corporations, businesses and contractors to get permits;
• The ability to grant permits to people in extraordinary circumstances who need them; and,
• A process for establishing sub zones within zone parking.

Ward 6 Coun. Cynthia Block also asked about the process to create new parking zones and boundaries, including whether it would be up to the public to initiate the creation of any particular parking zones.

“Can we just be absolutely clear that this bylaw is (a) saying what we want it to say, and that (b) it will be easy to explain that to my residents please?” she asked.

Community Services general manager Lynne LaCroix explained the residents in a given part of the city would start the petition process for any new zone designations.

After that, the city would help look at and create the parking zone boundaries.

“So what occurs is that the designation will be citizen-led on a block petition and they’ll apply for the first block. And then what happens following that is the city will then assist and identify an appropriate boundary for the zone,” she explained.

It could include any zone expansions, any extra blocks that may need to be included and what the boundaries might be.

“And then we would take a look at what other impacts there might be, the extent of the parking impacts, the layout of the roads, if there might be an impact of inadvertently leaving a block of unrestricted parking surrounded by restricted blocks,” she added.

Right now, there are three neighbourhoods with parking petitions including two in the Varsity View area, and one in the City Park area.

According to administration, it may take up to six months to review them.

For more information on the Residential Parking Permit program visit the city’s website.