No Limits-Parking Made Easy in Palmy

Palmerston North will be trialling no time limits in metered parking spaces.

That means you’ll be able to park all day in the same place provided you feed your meter.

Palmerston North City Council had been trialling three hour limits in metered spaces but at a meeting today decided to remove limits altogether for 12 months.

“Currently most people park in a space for less than an hour. If people are given an incentive to stay for longer, it means they can shop for longer too. That has got to be good for business. It gets people into the City centre and adds vibrancy,” says Mayor Grant Smith.

The trial will begin in the next few weeks after parking signs, meters and sensors are changed.

It will continue until July 4 next year to allow the success of the trial to be evaluated.

Council has also decided to make permanent free Saturday morning parking in metered spaces until eleven.

Mayor Smith says the Saturday morning initiative has been successfully trialled since February and it makes sense to retain it.

“The initiative promotes the use of our central city parks at a time on Saturday morning when fewer people are using them. People are also spending more time in the Central City and there has only been a small loss in parking revenue. We’ve decided to make two hours free parking on a Saturday morning a permanent feature.”

“Palmerston North is a drawcard for shoppers in the wider Central North Island. We want to make their whole experience including parking an even more positive one. We’ll be promoting these incentives locally and regionally to make everyone aware that parking is easy in Palmy,” Mayor Smith says.

ENDS

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