Parking rates in downtown Ottawa continue to rise

As workers start to return to their offices in downtown Ottawa, the issue of parking is becoming a major concern for many employees.

Kristen Dodds, who works downtown, drives in early just to grab a spot before they all fill up. She doesn’t buy a monthly pass, since she only has to be in the office twice a week, but it is costing her.

"A week after the announcement of the return to office, the parking managers decided that daily parking was gone. They would no longer offer it and you had to buy a monthly parking pass for $250 a month plus tax," she said.

Dodds found another lot that allowed daily rates, but the higher parking rates are a significant reason why employees still prefer working from home.

Jared Jenicek is a commercial real estate broker who helps companies get their employees back in the office. He says he is finding it more difficult because of higher parking prices.

“In every single one of our surveys that we launched for clients downtown, the number one reason for deterrence for coming back to the office is parking,” says Jenicek. “If the city and if the landlords want to bring people back, parking is one thing that they should probably look at. And either one, reducing the rates, or two, reduce the enforcement of them. Because just as a deterrent, no one wants to get slapped with a $75 fine if they are four minutes over their time.”

It's not just a problem in Ottawa. Parking prices in downtown Montreal and Toronto are also rising. A spot in downtown Ottawa on Queen Street will cost around $216 per month. In Montreal, a similar spot in the core, at the Bell Centre, is priced at $217 per month. And in downtown Toronto, a monthly pass at the Eaton Centre costs $276 per month.

According to Christine Leadman, Executive Director of the Downtown Bank Street BIA, parking prices were artificially low when people were not coming downtown at all.

"It's tough when you've been accustomed to a certain thing over three years like the pandemic and you see costs going up for everything else. This should not be a surprise that this is just another cog in the wheel that's going to have the same impacts as everything else," she said.

For those who have to drive, the costs are significant. Dodds estimates that it has added at least $300 to $500 per month when you add the cost of parking and gas.

Julie Chatillon, another downtown worker, says, “Personally, I just don't have time to run around and look for parking on the street and then spend $20 to pay for parking for the day. It's just not worth it.”