Parking bylaw changes pondered for pay centre

Upgrades to John Street, parking spots on Victoria Avenue Extension considered

The Public Service Pay Centre’s parking lots were designed to encourage carpooling, public transit, and active transportation among staff, but concerns have long been raised about the configuration not accounting for the extent of private vehicle dependence in the region. (FREE PRESS PHOTO)

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MIRAMICHI - City council will soon decide on a remedy for the Public Service Pay Centre’s parking woes, which were exacerbated by extra employees hired during the pandemic, and most of them being ordered back to the office in April.

During Tuesday’s council-in-committee meeting, options to alleviate the parking crunch around the federal payroll centre were presented, including painting lines for parking spaces along the eastbound lane of Victoria Avenue Extension and revamping John Street to accommodate year-round pay centre staff parking.

Both options would require council to amend the city’s parking bylaw, which doesn’t currently allow streetside parking along Victoria Avenue Extension. John Street’s current configuration doesn’t allow for regular pay centre parking, and signs are posted around the pay centre on John near Victoria Extension and on St. Thomas Street prohibiting on-street parking.

In a report presented to council, city manager Mike Noel said upgrading John Street for on-street parking for pay centre staff would cost an estimated $51,600 to $120,000. Painted lines for 13 stalls on Victoria Extension would cost roughly $2,930 to maintain annually.

Council referred its decision on the matter to a future meeting.

“The municipality currently allows payroll centre employees to park at the Lord Beaverbrook Arena without a fee,” Noel said in his report.

“Unlike John Street, Victoria Avenue Extension is currently constructed so that parking on one side of the street can be provided without incurring capital costs.”