Work to open more parking in and around downtown Windsor is moving forward.
City crews will begin installing new parking signs over the coming weeks and by early June, painting new lines to create more parallel curb side parking along angled on-street parking in some areas of the core.
In January, city council approved a parking optimization plan, a move that will create 249 new spaces downtown, up to 864 from the current 615.
Manager of Transportation Operations Bill Kralovensky says Pitt Street East and West and Chatham Street East and West, will be getting the most angled parking spaces.
Kralovensky says they will be opening spots near City Hall and Caesars Windsor.
“Very soon you’re going to see some of the first ones on McDougall between Wyandotte and Chatham. On Chatham, we’re going to head east up against the casino garage, which would be the south side of that street; there’s going to be more angled parking there. Then where that ends on Glengarry, we’re putting more parallel to the curb parking spots,” he says.
Kralovensky says the majority of the signs are going up first followed by the painted angled parking lines in early June.
“We have to clear the areas. Right now they are metered parking spots, so we’ll have to go out and close the metered parking spots with some ‘do not park here’ signs; that way we can have it cleared for nighttime,” he says.
Kralovensky says the work will be done during the overnight hours.
“We don’t want to screw up any parking during the day when everybody needs it downtown,” he says. “One day you’ll go and you’re parking there and the next day you’re going to come in scratching your head saying, ‘where the heck do I go today?’”
The cost to install the additional parking is estimated to be $15,400 based on the addition or conversion of 249 newly formed parking spaces in the downtown core. This cost includes the cost of signage and painting as well as internal staff costs.
As part of the overall parking plan, the council also approved a reduction in parking enforcement to 6 p.m., as opposed to extending it to 9 p.m. from the current 7 p.m., as proposed in the 2026 budget.
Coin payments at parking meters will also increase by 25 cents per hour to $2.50, but rates will remain at $2.25 for mobile app payment locations.