111 tickets issued in first 8 days of winter no-stopping restrictions on street near Ottawa Hospital General Campus

City crews made changes to parking signs on a street near the Ottawa Hospital General Campus on Tuesday in a bid to clear up confusion over seasonal parking restrictions, after dozens of tickets were issued for violating the winter no-stopping restrictions.

A "no-stopping zone" is in effect on a section of the eastern side of Lynda Lane, near Smyth Road, between Dec. 1 and March 31.

In the first eight days of the winter "no-stopping zone" rules, 111 tickets were issued to vehicles for violating the order. According to the City of Ottawa's website, the fine for stopping in a no-stopping area is $130, with an early payment option of $110.

CTV News Ottawa saw seven tickets issued on Tuesday for violating the no-stopping rules. 

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"I'm trying to save people as much as possible. Every time I'm on break, I come by and anybody that's parked there, I just give them a heads up right away," Jason Lanthier, who has worked at the Ottawa Hospital for 20 years as a clerk, told CTV News Ottawa on Tuesday.

“It's deceiving because on that side there's nothing over here; you're okay. But for some reason that little corner is so extremely confusing, we get a lot older patients. They can't see the signs as well. So, they get a lot of older people are getting a lot of tickets.”

A photo posted on the Ottawa Bylaw Services social media accounts last week showed three signs on one street post along Lynda Lane. There is a green "P" sign saying two hours of parking is allowed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. between April 1 and Nov. 30, and a sign above it with a stop sign covered by a red prohibited symbol for no stopping between Dec. 1 and March 31.

Staff arrived at approximately 1 p.m. Tuesday to flip the sign with the parking restrictions for April 1 and Nov. 30, according to CTV News Ottawa's Katelyn Wilson.  The sign post shows the stop sign with a red prohibited symbol for no stopping between Dec. 1 and March 31.

Concerns have been raised about the seasonal parking rules and the signs on the road for years, with people saying they do not understand the signage.

Vehicles parked on Lynda Lane near the Ottawa Hospital General Campus. Coun. Marty Carr wants the city to update its parking strategy for the road to see if paid parking should be implemented to address concerns. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa Bylaw Services says the "no-stopping zone" is in effect to facilitate snow removal along Lynda Lane during the winter, and for safety reasons.

“We appreciate residents’ cooperation on special parking restrictions throughout the winter season as it helps ensure our streets are clear and safe," Roger Chapman, Director of Bylaw and Regulatory Services, said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

"These seasonal restrictions have been in place since 2018 and also ensure access is maintained for emergency vehicles. Motorists are reminded to carefully read all posted parking restrictions from the top down when choosing a place to park their vehicle. The top sign will always take precedence."

Drivers can still park on sections of Lynda Lane, which is a popular spot for patients, visitors and staff of the Ottawa Hospital.

Lanthier has worked at the hospital for 20 years as a clerk and spends his break warning drivers.

“It’s a lot of patients who park here because we don’t have room for patient parking; that’s why they’re building the new parking lot," Lanthier said.

"So people are getting snagged in long wait times at the hospital and then they’re getting ticketed right away.”

Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr says her office receives calls and emails "all the time" about frustration with the signage on Lynda Lane.

"The dual signs have to be in order, as per the provincial regulations of the Highway Traffic Act. So I haven't been successful in coming up with something that can just say, 'Don't park here," Carr told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal.

Between Dec. 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, 1,437 parking tickets were issued to vehicles parked in a "no stopping zone" on Lynda Lane.

"Many people have parked on Lynda Lane for years and years. If you're not coming in the winter in those four months, you might not notice that piece is different," Carr said. "I think most people are aware Lynda Lane is a place to park when you're running in quickly or you're going to an appointment, dropping someone off, visiting someone. I think, for the most part, it's not paying attention."

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Katelyn Wilson