City of Melbourne Council has announced a new plan to make parking in the city simpler and fairer.
The Council says the plan will unlock hundreds more spaces, allow free parking for up to 15 minutes and offer cheaper rates for off-peak times.
“Good parking management helps keep our city moving – and we want to make parking simpler for people who drive in to Melbourne,” said Lord Mayor, Sally Capp.
“Feedback from traders was loud and clear – they want to see more active management across on-street parking, to attract more customers and increase parking turnover.”
Following extensive consultation, the final version of the Parking and Kerbside Management Plan has been released, alongside a range of improvements to better utilise on-street space.
Council says it received valuable feedback and suggestions from about 440 individuals and organisations – with calls to make improvements to parking management as soon as possible.
“Businesses need confidence that their customers can find a park, and deliveries will arrive on time. That’s why we’re making up to 15 minutes of parking free, creating consistent 2-hour limits and installing clearer signs.”
“This isn’t a ‘set and forget’ approach – we will work regularly with the community to bring the plan to life in all Melbourne neighbourhoods,” the Lord Mayor said.
The plan aims to significantly improve parking management across the central city through:
- Simpler signage to reduce driver confusion;
- Consistent 2-hour paid parking limits every day, 7am to 10pm, including Sunday;
- Introduction of paid parking on Sunday to promote turnover and attract more customers for traders;
- Free parking for up to 15 minutes to support quick trips;
- Optimising underused spaces and converting loading zones to paid parking after 4pm – making 500 additional parking spaces available in the evenings;
- Fairer, data-led pricing, with a new off-peak $4 per hour rate all weekend and after 7pm on weekdays;
- Consistent loading zone time limits for drivers to make deliveries, disabled parking and dedicated pick up/drop off zones in every street.
Council says the plan optimises on-street parking, which represents only 4% of all parking available in the city. The remaining 96% of parking is managed off-street in commercial car parks.
“Our on-street parking can be complex with some parking signs, limits and charges confusing and inconsistent, resulting in frustrating experiences for drivers in the city. This plan will change that,” said deputy lead City Transport, Infrastructure and Operations portfolio Councillor, Davydd Griffiths.
“This parking refresh was a key part of our Transport Strategy – improving the experience of all visitors to the city by creating more accessible streets and delivering more economic benefits to businesses.”
Council says it will continue working with off-street parking operators to make it easier to find and access the 68,000 off-street parking.
The parking improvements will be rolled out from July, supported by a campaign to educate the community about the improved and simplified measures. Work will commence to review and improve parking in Carlton and West Melbourne next year.
The final Parking and Kerbside Management Plan will be considered by Council at the 16 May Future Melbourne Committee meeting.
The Draft Parking and Kerbside Management Plan Community Engagement Report is available here.