Public parks will be used as Milton looks to solve on-street parking problems

Milton will look to public parks as a stop-gap solution to the town’s on-street parking problems.

Starting in the spring of next year, the town will open up 400 parking spaces in parks where residents will be able to leave their vehicles overnight.

You will need a permit for a spot in a park which will cost $60 a month. The program will last for a year and then be re-evaluated.

It is expected that vehicles will have to be removed from the parks by 8 a.m. and that enforcement will take place.

A report presented to council yesterday (Oct. 7) highlighted the growing need for overnight parking in neighbourhoods throughout Milton.

Residents have been complaining that it is getting increasingly difficult to find on-street parking as the town’s population grows and more people with more cars are moving into neighbourhoods.

Some have pointed out that homes are being built with smaller driveways and garages which have forced more cars onto the streets. As well, as pointed out by Ward 4 Councillor Sameera Ali, residents are using their garages for storage, not cars, which has exasperated the problem.

“Parking has been a big problem in this community for some time so I am happy to see some out-of-the-box thinking come our way,” said Ali.

While she was in favour of the parking plan, Ali pointed out potential problems. She said some parks are near schools which could cause traffic problems in the mornings if vehicles leaving the parks converge with students being dropped off. She also suggested that the vehicles could be easy pickings for thieves. However, she added that Halton police do not believe this will be a problem if the parking areas are well-lit and close to the street.

The report indicated this pilot project is just one aspect of a long-term initiative to find permanent solutions to parking and traffic issues in Milton.

Here are the parks where parking with permits will be allowed:

• Brian Best Park
• Bronte Meadows Park
• Scott Neighbourhood Park
• Sherwood District Park
• Laurier Park
• Clark Neighbourhood Park
• Lions Park
• Cobban Neighbourhood Park
• Beaty Neighbourhood Park
• Coates Neighbourhood Park
• Ford Neighbourhood Park
• Optimist Neighbourhood Park
• Milton Community Park
• Sunny Mount Park
• Willmott Neighbourhood Park