Stopping to grab some takeout or an online order from a downtown London business is about to get a little easier.
The city announced on Wednesday it is adding more than a dozen new short-term parking spots throughout the core. These spots, located predominately around Budweiser Gardens, the Covent Garden Market and Victoria Park, allow customers and delivery drivers to park their vehicle for up to 20 minutes.
“We’ve heard from businesses that they need clear and convenient areas for their customers and delivery services,” said Orest Katolyk, the city's chief bylaw officer. “We’ve done our best to fill those requests, balancing the need for safety as well. In identifying these locations, we’ve considered pedestrian safety, transit, emergency services, traffic flow and accessibility.”
Downtown business owners also helped identify areas where the parking spaces would be best suited.
New signage marking the park and pick-up spots is being installed. Vehicles in the spaces would only receive a ticket if they are parked in a manner that impedes traffic or poses a safety risk.
Over the past few weeks, downtown restaurant owners have voiced concerned over so-called aggressive ticketing of bylaw officers of their customers and food delivery drivers. Tickets were handed out to vehicles stopped along Dundas Place, the city's flex-street.
The addition of the new parking spots was implemented by the city's Back to Business (B2B) action team, a temporary initiative that provides rapid and flexible solutions to businesses' concerns during the pandemic.
