It's going to be much cheaper for motorists to park in a Downtown Guelph parking lot.
The city is beginning its pilot project to transition the 64 parking spaces in a lot on Macdonell Street – between Norfolk and Wyndham Street – to two hours of free parking a day, per vehicle. Previously, the lot was a pay-per-hour controlled lot.
The project is said to be a compliment to the angled parking on Wyndham Street, converted from on-street parallel parking last month, and new parking spaces on Woolwich Street.
In addition, the city is using technology to track how many spaces are available in real-time as well as using it to crack down on those that park over the two-hour limit.
The city is expanding on the technology it installed earlier this year in the Market Parkade and West Parkade.
They said they will be placing sensors in the asphalt underneath each on-street parking spot in Downtown Guelph.
This, the city said, will not only allow them to track parking turnover and have a handle on those who stay in a spot for over two hours illegally, but it'll also give residents and visitors a way to see just how many parking spots are open before heading downtown.
The city said that data will come online on the city's website this summer.
Businesses in the downtown will also soon get printed materials on the two parking garages, including directions and options for people planning to spend more than two hours in the area.
