Description
Driving and parking facilities are expensive for our community and inefficient ways of moving people, but current policies encourage driving by subsidizing roads and parking, and designing public and private spaces around car travel. Removing these incentives while improving active transportation and transit will help these efficient and low carbon alternatives become the normal and preferred means of getting to destinations. These changes must be planned to coincide with the expansion of viable low carbon transportation choices across the community, to ensure equity.
This action will be led by the Region of Waterloo and the Area Municipalities. Please see below for the most recent publicly available updates.
THE REGION OF WATERLOO
The 2018 Transportation Master Plan includes plans for 6 road diets, where one of two car lanes are removed from overbuilt corridors to accommodate new cycling facilities or dedicated transit lanes.
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The City of Cambridge implements a corporate TravelWise program. The Official Plan review (2024) will examine policies to encourage alternative modes of travel (“the 15 minute neighbourhood”) and potentially reduce requirements for new developments to provide parking.
CITY OF KITCHENER
The City of Kitchener’s new zoning bylaw 2019-051 introduced lower parking minimums where parking is required, parking maximums as well as minimum bicycle parking rates to support active transportation.
CITY OF WATERLOO
The City of Waterloo addresses action 1.1.4 through items included in the City's Transportation Master Plan Update 2020:
- Continuing to identify and pursue funding opportunities for active transportation projects to enable the implementation of recommendations in the WTMP
- Continuing to pursue and implement policies and projects based on the 20-Minute City concept
- Adopting a formal data-driven, evidence based decision-making process as part of the City’s road safety program
- Continuing to explore car parking reform, including reviewing and refining the City’s Zoning By-law policies to discourage excess supply and encourage better use of existing spaces
- Exploring planning strategies for the eventual repurposing of unneeded transportation infrastructure, parking lots, and roadside parking spaces
- Monitoring the need to update the uptown Waterloo Parking Strategy
- Continuing to explore opportunities to leverage emerging parking management technologies
TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH
The Township of Woolwich identifies that implementing policy and program opportunities to de-incentivize driving is a future goal moving forward.
SUSTAINABLE WATERLOO REGION
Members of the TravelWise program are continuously working on their organizations 'commuting plan'. A part of this larger commuting plan is the organization's parking plan, which encourages organizations to understand and reflect on their current and future parking needs and options.