What Ottawa’s new parking pricing means for you

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Good morning,

As many of you may have seen, Robert has left the Lookout to work as news editor at the Ottawa Citizen. You’ll have to indulge me as I share a few words about my friend, now that he can no longer edit the newsletter and downplay his role! 

It’s a bittersweet moment. Robert was the first person I turned to with the idea for the Lookout. He has been not only an incredible colleague, a person I turned to every day, and shaped the Lookout you all love, but most importantly, he became a friend, a person our team could turn to anytime.

I don’t need to tell you about his commitment to local news. You saw it every day, in each edition of the Lookout, the late nights, the tight deadlines. It’s a testament to his commitment that in the almost three years of the Ottawa Lookout, I cannot recall us ever missing a deadline.

That commitment is something none of us should take for granted. Local news isn’t easy. You don’t do it for the fame. You do it because you care about a community, the people, the stories yet to be told, and the belief that by shining a light on the issues, inch by inch, a city can become an even better place for each of us.

Robert is off to do even more of that at the Citizen. Now more than ever, local news needs more Roberts. He’ll do great things and the publication is lucky to have him. 

Local news has struggled, but it feels like things are improving, little by little, in cities across Canada. By being part of the Lookout community, you’re a part of the solution. We’re a Canada-wide community of over 95,000 readers, and that wouldn’t have happened without Robert.

While he is leaving, we’re as excited as ever to continue bringing you city news. Charlie will be jumping in to help more often, someone who I’m excited to work with more closely. I’ll also be writing every once a while. We’re also working on exciting new projects and stories to cover, which we’ll share more about in the future.

(I will also note that there may be a few more grammatical errors in the newsletters as we sort out editing. Don’t hesitate to flag them to us, as feedback always helps us improve.)

Thanks for being with us on this journey. Thanks to Robert for the impact he left at the Lookout. And thanks to all of you for being part of this journey.

Here’s to many more years of the Lookout covering local news in Ottawa.

Now, let’s dive into today’s newsletter.

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout co-founder

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign up for free.

WEATHER

Friday: 31 🌡️ 19 | 🌤 

Saturday: 23 🌡️ 19 | 🌧️

Sunday: 23 🌡️ 18 | 🌧️

Monday: 19 🌡️ 12 | 🌧️

TRANSPORTATION

What Ottawa’s new parking pricing means for you

What happened: On Monday, demand-based parking pricing will be added to 11 out of 20 parking zones in the city, with rates going up and down from time to time, depending on demand in order to encourage more parking spot turnover, according to CBC.

According to the city, there were three previous rates, $1.50, $2 and $3.50, with 85% of the locations at the highest price. Now that’s changing, with rates increasing to $4 in six zones, $4.50 on Ruskin Street near the Civic Hospital and dropping to $1 near Holland Cross, Terminal and Rideau. Prices will adjust by $0.50 periodically depending on demand. It is expected to generate around $440,000 a year.  

The city has summarized demand by area, which helped inform the pricing change.

Why demand pricing: Think of parking as a problem of supply and demand. Driving around, desperately searching for a place to leave your car, means there’s more demand than supply. As Donald Shoup, author of The High Price of Free Parking argues, curb pricing is perfectly set when people are always able to find parking, according to Smart Cities Dive. For demand pricing, parking spot costs are based on the amount of parking available in certain areas, with prices increasing as supply declines. 

In San Francisco: Pricing varies by the time of day and location. The idea is to encourage people to take an alternative form of transportation, like transit. The transportation agency decides on changes rather than council, reducing political influence. The goal is to have 60-80% of metres available at any time. At 80%, the price increases. 

• Yes, but: Of course, discouraging driving with demand pricing requires an available form of transit, and with OC Transpo’s problems, that certainly makes it a little harder. The city outlined that managing supply was the first priority on the list, while promoting sustainable forms of transportation was third.

In Ottawa: The city has set a target of 85% occupancy, where anything above is too high, and anything below 50% is too low. Prices will adjust to account for that. 

Dig deeper: Vox has an excellent overview of a book I’ve absolutely devoured called Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. While it focuses on the US, the stories and research apply equally to Canadian cities. It paints a picture of how cities have been shaped by parking, and the policy mechanisms targeting parking that can be used to improve them.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

💰️ $1 million: Chelsea is asking for this much from the Quebec government to deal with the damage to roads and homes from the recent rain, including washed-out roads and bridges. [CTV]

🚘️ 1,016: Not a good stat, this is the number of vehicles reported stolen in Ottawa in 2024, including 43 in the first half of August. [CTV]

⛺️ 1,400: The number of homeless encampments across Ontario in 2023. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is calling on the province to give more direction on how to deal with them, as well as more resources. [CBC]

EDUCATION

Another year, another bus driver shortage

I remember last year my old colleague Robert wrote a similar story about this topic. Sadly, it seems like not much has changed…

What happened: The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) announced that they will be short on bus drivers again in the lead-up to the beginning of school, and needs an additional 28 new bus drivers to meet demand. At current numbers, the shortage will impacting 112 routes around the city, according to CTV. 

Breaking it down: The impact on the region could be felt equally, rather than last year whem it was primarily in the west and south of the city. OSTA hasn’t said which routes will be impacted, as they’re stll confirming route assignments. Long-term cancllatiosn will be shared on the OTSA website next week, according to the Citizen. 

• Good news: OTSA noted that the routes could be brought back before the school year starts as more drivers are trained up.

Looking back: The problem appears to be less severe than last year. OTSA was 130 bus drivers short, but that number fell to 71 by October.

THE AGENDA

🥵 It will be hot out there today, with temperatures getting to 30 C, though it’ll feel more like 35 C with the humidex. And of course, it looks like it’ll rain this weekend. [CTV]

🧑‍⚖️ Yes, the convoy trial is still happening. The Crown presented its final arguments on Tuesday, saying organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber “crossed the line” and the actions of the protestors moved beyond what would normally be considered a lawful protest. [Ottawa Citizen]

Some sad news, Erin O’Neil, a social justice advocate who had a large following online, died by suicide in July, while she faced eviction from her home. One friend described her as “a lovely, caring person and a fierce advocate.” [Ottawa Citizen]

🚿 If you live in Chelsea, the city is asking residents to reduce water consumption while maintenance work is performed on the filtration plant. The municipality noted that the water is safe to drink. The state of emergency in the region was extended Monday until Aug. 22. [Ottawa Citizen]

🏊 Thinking about heading out for a swim? Be sure to check the beach you’re visiting, as the recent rain has caused an increase in E. coli. Swimming was not recommended at many beaches this week, but as of yesterday, most were allowed except for Petrie East Bay as of yesterday. [Ottawa Public Health]

📲 The Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response program began operating yesterday in Centretown. It’s a 24/7 team that serves as an alternative to police. Civilian team members are deployed with experience in mental health and substance use. The goal is to free up police resources to focus on other issues and reduce the chances of a situation escalating. [CTV]

🏢 Organizations from government agencies, outside of core public administration, are divided over whether to follow the lead of the Treasury Board and require their employees to return to the office four days a week. This includes the CRA and Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The full list can be found here. [Ottawa Citizen]

👮 A 32-year-old man has gone missing near Britannia Beach at 7 pm on Wednesday. Police are asking for help to find him. [Ottawa Police]

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EVENTS

What to do this weekend

Capital Fair | 3837 Albion Road | Until Aug. 25 | Come see the agricultural and wildlife exhibits, music and food | Various prices

Perth Night Market | Downtown Perth | Saturday, Sept. 14, 5-10 p.m. | Experience a magical evening of entertainment, artisan vendors, delicious food, and late-night shopping in beautiful downtown Perth. | Learn more [Sponsored]

Company of Fools — Macbeth | Various locations | Until Aug. 24 | This year it’s Macbeth, at Raven Park, Alta Vista, Strathcona and more | Learn more

Russell Fair | 1076 Concession St | Until Aug 18 | Celebrate agricultural heritage with bands, cutting competitions, amusement rides for kids, crafts and more | Various prices

Halal Ribfest Ottawa | 450 Queen Elizabeth Driveway | Now until Sunday, 2 pm-10 pm | Hallal BBQ food, pop-up market, live music and a place for kids to play | Various prices

Vankleek Hill Fair | Vankleek Hill Fairgrounds | Now until Aug. 18 | Exhibits, petting zoon, pony rides and more | Various prices 

Ottawa Greek Festival | 1315 Prince of Wales Drive | Now until Aug. 18 | Always a popular event, come try Greek food, listen to music and see other Greek shows | Free

Fighting Back 13 | 523 Saint Anthony Street | Today, 7:30 pm-11 pm | Independent wrestling at it’s best, come watch the show with proceeds going towards the Canadian Cancer Society | Tickets $43

Capital Pop-up Cinema | Churchill Seniors Recreation Centre | Today, 8 pm | Come watch Flight of the Navigator in Westboro | Free

ABBA Revisited Returns! | Queen St. Fare | Tonight, 8 pm-11:30 pm | Revist the magic of the era with classics from the ABBA catalogue | Tickets $50

Family Paint Party | 3 Brewers, Kanata | Aug. 18, 7 pm-9 pm | Bring out your inner artist with step-by-step instructions to create a masterpiece. No experience necessary | Tickets $39

CAPITAL EATS

This week in Ottawa food

🌱 Odd Burger, a vegan fast food chain, has finally arrived in Ottawa. So what did our food editor think about it? The tacos were the real winner. 

🥩 We love plugging small grocers so you can spend less money at places like Loblaws. Those of you who crave authentic Spanish food and ingredients will adore this new Iberian product from on of Ralf’s favourite suppliers in the city. 

🍦 Our food editor says this spot on Wellington may have the best ice cream in the city.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Chipotle lovers rejoice, a second location is opening up in Stittsville at 5671 Hazeldean Rd. this fall. [CTV]

• Easy tips and advice for personal finances with Dollarwise, a free newsletter. Try it out today and get control of your money. [Sponsored]

• People are remembering former Ottawa city councillor Marlene Catterall, who passed away last Monday at the age of 85. [CBC]

• Want to discover new restaurants in the Capital Region? Subscribe to our free food newsletter to hear first about the best new places to eat. 

• Ottawa Rapid FC is the name of the new women’s pro soccer team. [CBC]

• Here’s a helpful list of the movies playing at Ottawa’s independent cinemas this August. [Apt613]

• This free outdoor music series sponsored by Vanier’s BIA looks like a blast. More dates are set later this summer! [Reddit]

• You’ll soon be able to fly from Ottawa to London’s Heathrow airport direct in 2025. [CTV]

OTTAWA GAMES

Think you can solve this week’s Ottawa Wordle? Play now.