City of Ottawa aims to bring crowds downtown with free parking, transit
The City of Ottawa is offering free parking at select downtown garages, as well as free transit, in an effort to encourage people back downtown.
"Awesome," says Christine, who drove from Gloucester and parked at a city-operated garage in the ByWard Market. “I just went to work but now that I know it’s free for the next while, I might come down more often."
City council passed two motions approving the measures. They are among a slate of motions to help with downtown Ottawa’s economic recovery following the "Freedom Convoy" occupation.
Council approved a plan to offer free parking between Feb. 25 and March 31 at six city-owned parking lots in the downtown and ByWard Market areas to help encourage people to drive downtown and visit businesses.
The lots affected are located at 210 Gloucester St., 234-250 Slater St., 422 Slater St., 70 Clarence St., 142 Clarence St., and 110 Laurier Ave. W.
“No excuses! Let’s come and support our local businesses,” says Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury. “They need you help more than ever. The last two years were extreme, and last month was even more than that.”
The city estimates a loss of $380,000 in parking revenues, to be covered by reserve funds should it result in a net loss at year's end.
“We’re happy about it; we think it’s a great gesture,” says Pat Nicastro, owner of La Bottega in the ByWard Market, “our customers have already been using it and they love it. It’s getting people down here.”
Customers like Leila Ayoub, who drove from the city’s south end and parked at one of the nearby garages says, “It just makes it easier, coming downtown.”
Six city-owned parking lots in the downtown and ByWard Market areas will be offering free parking from Feb. 25 to March 31 in a bid to help encourage people visit downtown businesses. (Don MacLean/CTV News Ottawa)
Several downtown OC Transpo routes and the O-Train Line 1 are no charge until March 26. The affected routes are 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 55, 56, 85, 114. OC Transpo says customers can board the O-Train Line 1 and these 15 bus routes at any stop along the route without paying a fare and the fare gates at stations will be open.
All Para Transpo trips to or from Rideau-Vanier and Somerset wards are also no charge until Staturday, March 26.
Fares and transfers will continue to be required for access to Line 2 buses, all other bus routes, and STO buses.
Kalin McClouskey, executive director of the ByWard Market BIA, is hopeful that these measures will incentivize people to come back to the market. “We’re hoping that it will attract lots of folks from around Ottawa to come down, spend more time in the ByWard Market, do their shopping down here.”
--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.