Saugeen Shores council has received a parking study report for the downtowns of Southampton and Port Elgin.
A study by consultants at Paradigm Transportation Solutions Limited found there is sufficient parking space in both downtowns.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau noted, after a consultant shared a presentation on the study, “It demonstrates on the aggregate, we do not have parking problems in the cores. It’s not an area where the municipality should focus our limited resources to a great extent but it is an area where we can maybe, at a very low cost do some nudging of the community to get them to use the parking facilities that we have available.”
The Town offers free, year round parking at lots located at the Port Elgin Main Beach, the corner of Gustavus Street and Bricker streets, the corner of Green and Bricker streets, the lane running south of Green Street and behind the Port Elgin Library as well as at the Southampton Coliseum.
An August 2023 survey found less than half of the available supply in Port Elgin was occupied and maximum demand was at midday (either noon or 1 p.m.) They say 81 per cent of spaces were occupied for less than two hours.
In Southampton that survey found parking lots reached a maximum demand of 73 per cent and less than half of the supply of on-street spaces. 85 per cent of spaces were occupied for less than two hours.
The consultants shared some suggestions which included timed enforcement, requiring employees to park away from the main streets, with Jubilee Park being a suggestion for employee parking. They also suggested more bicycle parking and bike racks.
Deputy Mayor Diane Huber disagreed with a suggestion to use the parking lot by Jubilee Park saying it’s an in-and-out kind of place where families can stop in to use the park.
“It’s not really desirable in my opinion to put longer term parking for a whole day into that very small lot, so I don’t agree with that,” said Huber.
She added, “I don’t believe that during this parking survey or this parking study, or in any meetings with the BIA that there was really a concerted effort to literally ask the businesses on High Street or on Goderich Street how many of their employees really need street or lot parking because quite a few of them have parking behind their businesses, so I’m not sure that employee parking is always the big issue that it is.”
Huber also suggested there should not be any parking that gets in the way of snow removal.
Councillor Cheryl Grace commented she doesn’t feel paying for parking enforcement is worth it, noting most people use the spots for less than two hours.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau noted for clarity’s sake for those who watching the meeting, “We’re not actioning these things, just receiving it for information,” said Charbonneau, noting “if you have further comments that you want to give down the road, staff will receive those comments from you and take further things into consideration as well.”
The Town’s 2020 transportation master plan recommended a parking study.
According to the study, Port Elgin’s downtown area has 441 on-street spaces and 176 spaces in lots. Southampton’s downtown area has 505 on-street spaces and 92 spaces in lots.
Respondents to public engagement efforts noted they didn’t want paid parking, wanted parking time limits enforced and they wanted designated staff parking areas, more bike parking, more accessible parking and a desire for public transportation.
The consultants did list public transportation as a long-term recommendation to be considered.
