A move to modernize and create a cashless on-street parking system in Windsor is being put on the back burner to help people adapt to any potential changes in the future.
During Monday's meeting, the city council voted in favour of a motion from Ward 3 Councillor Renaldo Agostino to maintain the status quo but offer an incentive for people who use the city's parking app.
The change will see users of the city's Passport parking app be able to stay in their parking space up to four hours, double the current two hours, before having to pay again.
Agostino says given the responses from the community, there is some trepidation about the full change.
He says it's a chance for the community to catch-up.
"It's also addressing one of the number one things that people are asking me for, and that is, 'Hey man, I'm going to a show at the Capitol Theatre, and I don't want to leave the show to up my parking before my parking runs out.' I want you to be able to do it from your phone," he says.
Coordinator of Parking Services Bill Kralovensky told the council over 52 per cent of street parking transactions were made through the city's Passport app by the end of 2024; however, app usage has dropped to 39 per cent so far in 2025.
Agostino says hopefully we see some improvements in directing people over to the digital side.
"Not by forcing them to do it but by giving them the carrots to do it. This is one of those big carrots that is the number one thing people have asked me for in regard to parking downtown: being able to use the app to add more time when they don't want to leave their date, leave their movie, or leave their bucket of chicken wings. They want to be able to sit there and re-up just like people in other cities have the ability to do," he says.
The report from administration that went before council had recommended the removal of cash payment options at all metered street parking spots along with the addition of mobile license plate recognition scanners to assist in enforcement, a move that would have cost the city nearly $145,000.