Transportation: Parking
[ On-Street Parking | Tickets | Parking Lots ]
If you drive, where to park is always an issue. Unlike most cities, parking in downtown Saskatoon is pretty easy to fine. There are lots of parkades, lots and metered street parking in the city core. Be sure to have a roll of loonies ($1 coins) and quarters on hand to pay for the empty meter you find. Outside the downtown core parking is generally plentiful.
In the downtown core, be careful navigating on Saskatoon's one-way streets to get to the desired lot.
On-Street Parking
Downtown, expect to feed the standard two hour meter (thought the red meters in loading zones are good for only 30 minutes, though there are some oher metres in the core for 1.5, 3, and even 9 hours). 25 cents buys you 20 minutes, so 2 hours will set you back $1.50. The City of Saskatoon polices its street and metered parking, and you can get tickets ranging from $35 to $90, so its always cheaper to feed the meter. Meters are in operation from Monday to Friday, until 6 pm. You can park evenings and Sundays for free, and Saturdays up to 2 hours for free.
The city now uses CITYCARD SmartCard technology to use in city meters in place of coins. CITYCARD allows the user to purchase time on a meter up to the maximum time allowable, and then redeem any unused time back onto the card before leaving the parking stall. CITYCARDs are available in $20.00 and $50.00 denominations. A $5.00 refundabledeposit is required for every new CITYCARD purchased, so when your card is empty, exchange it for a new one to avoid paying another deposit. It also makes your parking expenses documentable for tax reasons.
You can no also pay parking by cellphone using the Electronic Parking Payment System (TM) which applies to existing parking meters.
Each meter in this program has a sticker with a four-digit meter number and the a phone number. To pay by cell phone:
Call 955-9969, follow the prompts, and enter the four-digit meter number. While the meter will not indicate it, the vehicle will be legally parked for the maximum stay. E
Parking Enforcement Officers carry wireless pocket PCs to identify which meters have been paid by cell phone,and how much time remains.
Charges are billed to your cellphone in 30 minute increments, and you can stop parking charges, by phoning 955-9969 using the same cell phone.
If you do not call to stop charges, the maximum rate at that meter will be charged.
Do not attempt to park in a tour bus loading zone, within 5 metres (yards) of a fire hydrant, alley, driveway, or intersection. You WILL be ticketed.
If you are a resident near the downtown core, you can get an on-street parking
permit (bring proof of address) for $5.35 (including GST) a year.
Tickets & Towing
If you are one of the many unfortunates to get a City of Saskatoon parking ticket, you have 14 days to pay and qualify for a ticket reduction of $25. This means a $35 ticket costs you only $10 and a $90 ticket costs you $65 (you can pay early by mail, or at City Hall (222 Third Avenue North). If your ticket remains unpaid then the city issues you a violation ticket which sets a court date scheduled approximately one month after the violation ticket has been issued. If you have any questions about your ticket, contact City of Saskatoon Parking (975-2400) or the City Police (975-8300).
If you fail to appear in court then you are found guilty in absence and an additional fine of $20.00 is added to the outstanding ticket. You can also get arrested for "Failure to Appear in Court" at which time you will be asked to pay your outstanding fines...or else stay a while... Usually the police are quite nice and often drive you by your local friendly instant teller on the way to the police station. But even if you happen to be lucky enough to evade the police ... the city will eventually collect its dues when you go to renew your driver's license or vehicle registration. You must first pay the entire sum of your outstanding fine(s) before getting your renewal. If you get a city parking ticket, we suggest you just pay it.
Should you happen to receive a parking ticket issued by anyone of the private parking companies around town and do not pay it in the stipulated time, then it will most likely make its way to a city collection company (we have yet to be contacted by anyone of these companies). If you continue to violate the parking regulations on any of their lots then they may tow your car to the city impound lot.
Special Events
In response to concerns from Nutana area residents, during the Fringe Festival (early August) only vehicles displaying a Fringe Festival Residential Parking Permit (issued by the City) will be permitted to park on all streets in the area between Victoria Avenue, Lansdowne Avenue, Saskatchewan Crescent and 8th Street, between 6 pm & 6 am.
All other vehicles, with the exception of vehicles displaying a valid City of Saskatoon Disabled Parking Permit, will be ticketed $50.
In response to concerns from Exhibition area residents, a special Residential Parking Permit program will once again be implemented during Exhibition Week (early Augus)
and only vehicles displaying The EX Residential Parking Permit (issued by the City) will be permitted to park 24 hours a day during the Exhibition on all streets within the area bounded by Ruth Street to Niderost (including Vernon), Isabella Street, Victoria Avenue and Wilson Crescent, and St. Henry Avenue. All other vehicles will be ticketed $50.
Fringe Festival & Echibition attendees are encouraged to car pool or use public transit.
|
