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By Adam Berls

parking

Modernized parking study presented to council

Jul 28, 2025 | 8:57 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — A study that looks into modernizing parking in downtown Prince George was presented to council Monday night.

The study’s aim was to provide recommendations to council on how the City can best modernized parking in the downtown core, an issue that has proven to be contentious in the past. The study was conducted by LEA Consulting.

Public feedback was an important component of the study, and out of the feedback received, lack of available parking, on-street time limits and enforcement, safety concerns were highlighted as challenges by respondents.

When it came to on-street parking in the downtown, the report found that on-street parking is sufficient, noting that parking spaces are available within 1-2 blocks. With off-street parking, the study showed that the City has “a significant surplus of off-street parking, no lots/parkades are operating at capacity”. There are a total of just over 3,600 on-street and off-street parking spaces in Downtown Prince George. The hospital zone has a total of 574 on-street parking spaces. 504 of those are paid spaces.

In the hospital zone, the study found that the hospital zone “does not lack parking, although the most convenient 2-hr free spaces are often occupied during peak periods.”

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The report showed that during peak utilization of on-street parking, 835 spaces were occupied, totalling 51% of all on-street parking in the downtown core. The report also showed that 85% of vehicles parked within the 3-hour limit, whereas 15% parked longer than the 3-hour limit. LEA Consulting found that when compared to other similar sized cities such as Kamloops, Nanaimo, Saanich, Chilliwack etc., Prince George does provide a large supply of off-street parking.

The study recommended that if council wishes to “support the vision for the Civic Core District, it is recommended that the City reimagine its current parking model to improve flexibility and leverage the existing municipal parking supply” by:

• Retaining most City off-street parking lots / parkades
• Transitioning from monthly permit model to allow flexible evening/weekend use
• Institute paid event parking (on or off-street) for a reasonable fee
• Increase bylaw enforcement for on-street parking
• Provide a shuttle bus service to link parking that is further away (large arena only)
• Transition towards 2-hr free (no reparking within 5 hrs) to promote turnover in commercial areas
• Provide paid option to park for longer on side streets or less busy areas
• In the long-term, change operational model to align with hybrid approach in Hospital Zone (free 2-hr + paid)

The Civic Core District Plan, which envisions the construction of a new arena and performing arts venue in downtown Prince George, could generate “high parking demand, up to 1,915 spaces at peak.”

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com