Changes to free parking trial confirmed for Monday

Changes to the council's free parking trial begin on Monday.

Changes to Rotorua's inner city free parking trial come into effect on Monday.

The second phase of an 18 month free parking trial will see the current free parking period reduced from two hours to one hour on Tutanekai St, and to 90 minutes on side streets.

Parking arrangements in other parts of the inner city, including zones where there are no time limits, will remain unchanged.

Rotorua Lakes Council Inner City Revitalisation portfolio leader Karen Hunt said the trial was scheduled for a full review by the end of June next year.

"These adjustments are in part a response to requests from the Inner City Focus Group and many retailers. Their view is that shorter free parking periods in the heart of the city will result in increased turnover of parking spaces and therefore more parking availability for motorists.

"Importantly, for the decisions the council will need to make at the end of the 18 month trial, it will provide us with two comprehensive sets of contrasting data for comparison, including two Christmas shopping periods," she said.

Statistics gathered by the council showed the average time spent by vehicles in the current P120 free parking spaces was under 60 minutes.

Inner City Focus Group member and city retailer Ron Finn said next week's changes would in effect bring the allowable free parking period in line with the actual average parking times that are being experienced in the inner city.

"We're pleased the council has agreed to these changes as part of their overall trial. Next year they're going to have to make important decisions on whether to continue with free parking, and if it is to continue, what the optimum permanent free parking period should be.

"By then they will have some very sound information to help them to make well informed decisions," Mr Finn said.

Rotorua Lakes Council staff will be working to change signage and fix new stickers to every parking meter where the changes are to apply. Implementing the changes is budgeted to cost approximately $16,000.