About the project

The City of Guelph is updating its Downtown Parking Master Plan to determine how much parking is required, how it is provided, and what role the City should take in meeting future parking demand in the downtown. It is a long term study which will consider parking needs based on future growth, changing circumstances, and alternate funding models.

Parking is recognized as an investment in infrastructure and is important for sustaining downtown as a vibrant place and for supporting downtown renewal and growth. Parking is being considered in the context of the Race to Zero, the City’s plan to reduce carbon emissions, and encouraging active transportation and transit as well as vehicle traffic as approved in the City’s Transportation Master Plan.

Planning Phases

Planning for the Downtown Parking Master Plan began in the fall of 2022 and the study findings will be presented to City Council in the fall of 2023. Background data collection, parking surveys and discussions with downtown stakeholders commenced in 2022 with ongoing activities occurring in the winter and spring of 2023. Project inputs are organized in three phases:

Checking In (commencing fall 2022)

• Understanding current operations, emerging issues and concerns.
• Undertaking data collection and parking surveys.
• Determining influences of changing circumstances, development activity, future growth and other key drivers for parking in the downtown.

Recalibrating (commencing winter 2023)

• Exploring needs and opportunities
• Assessing changes and drivers relative to supply and demand of parking.
• Exploring alternative strategies and options.

Moving Forward (commencing summer 2023)

• Developing draft recommendations.
• Identifying short- and longer-term strategies
• Documenting and preparing Master Plan

How to participate

We are interested to hear about your experience parking downtown and future needs and opportunities. Your input will help identify parking priorities in the coming years.

Take our second downtown parking survey Extended to July 7, 2023.

We had a presentation Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The virtual meeting included a presentation which provided an update on the study work and shared key messages heard from the community and overview future parking scenarios for short- and longer-term parking in Downtown Guelph. View a recording of the presentation and access the transcript.

All comments (except for personal information) will be part of the project record and will be carefully considered as part of Downtown Parking Master Plan Study. Watch here for updates and more opportunities to talk abut this project, to share your thoughts and learn about the Downtown Parking Master Plan.

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Questions and comments about parking downtown can be forwarded anytime to Jamie Zettle, Guelph Parking Operations Manager at jamie.zettle@guelph.ca