On Monday, November 6, Traffic Enforcement Officers with the City of St. John’s will begin issuing Warning Tickets to motorists that park on a meter for any longer than the maximum period of time indicated on the faceplate of the meter. This warning period will last one week. On Monday, November 13 tickets will be issued to offenders continuing to violate section 7 of the City Parking Meter bylaw.

The Downtown Development Commission (DDC) supports the enforcement of Section 7 of the bylaw. Business owners and employees should be using long-term parking facilities, off-street lots and long-term parking meters leaving prime meter spaces available to customers and visitors to the downtown.

If customers can’t find convenient on-street parking, they will develop perceptions about a lack of parking downtown – which has already happened – and then drive off to other business areas to spend their dollars and never be heard from again. A common rule-of-thumb for the value of one prime parking space is approximately $150 – $300 in retail sales PER DAY.

Customers expect and deserve easy, convenient parking, which they can’t find if employees are taking prime parking spots. When employees park on meters it prevents a customer from parking there, you and your neighboring businesses lose money.

The DDC has asked the City to ensure proper judgment is used when issuing fines so visitors to the area are not penalized for placing additional time on a meter in order to extend their stay by a short time. The intent of the enforcement is to encourage appropriate turn over in meters and to discourage motorists from “plugging” a meter all day in prime parking areas.

Did you know all the meters on Harbour Drive, 160 to be exact, are long-term meters offering up to a maximum of 8 hours of parking at a time!

There are parking alternatives available. For a complete list of long-term parking facilities available in the downtown call the DDC office at 579 4139 or email info@downtownstjohns.com