Changes to inner city free parking limits

Rotorua District Council is to reduce the duration of free parking in the inner city area as part of the city’s 18 months free parking trial.

The changes were agreed to at a meeting of the council’s Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee today (14 October 2014) in response to recommendations made to the council by the Inner City Focus Group.

Under the current trial, free parking is permitted for two hours (P120) but this is to be reduced to one hour (P60) along Tutanekai Street and 90 minutes in adjacent side streets.

While free parking has been well received by shoppers some retailers have suggested that traffic movement would be further improved by the free parking period being reduced.

Inner City Focus Group member and local retailer Ron Finn says shorter periods of free parking before cars are required to move on, may result in better turnover of parking spaces with more bays being freed up for customers.

In assessing the optimum free parking time for the inner city area council staff used data on parking space occupancy levels from sensor units installed in parking spaces, including vehicle turnover rates and average lengths of stay.

A report by the council’s Inner City Lead Advisor, Portia McKenzie, said vehicles were stopping on average less than 60 minutes in the current P120 free parking spaces.

She said parking space occupancy rates were also relatively consistent at between 80 to 90 per cent through the peak 10am to 2pm part of the day, meaning one to two spaces remained available for every 10 parking spaces.

The changes to free parking limits are expected to become operational from around mid-November once new signage and parking meter labels have been produced.

The new regime will remain in force until the end of the free parking trial at the end of June next year when it is to be reviewed.

[ENDS]

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