Councillors ask staff to revisit Hamilton’s 12-hour parking rule

City councillors have asked staff to review Hamilton's long-standing 12-hour street-parking limit.

Ward 3 resident Luca Giuliano requested the review, noting in the city's older inner-city neighbourhoods driveways are scarce.

And during the pandemic, there has been a shift in work habits, he told Monday's planning committee.

A lot more people are actually working from home," Giuliano said, noting he goes to the office once a week.

City rules, meanwhile, bar a driveway on his property and a monthly parking pass doesn't make him exempt from the 12-hour limit, he noted.

It would be ideal" to ditch their cars, but some still need them, Giuliano said.

Give us an option other than moving the car."

The 12-hour bylaw is meant to help snowplowing and road crews to do their work while ensuring the turnover of parking spots.

It's also designed to prevent derelict vehicles" from being left on the street, transportation director Brian Hollingworth noted.

We do apply a lot of discretion with respect to this bylaw," he said, noting the rule has been around for decades.

Coun. Jason Farr said he'd tried tacking the 12-hour rule for inner-city wards but was met with some resistance" from suburban colleagues.

One concern was roadside mechanics" leaving cars on streets for long periods, the Ward 2 councillor said.

The bylaw serves a purpose in lower Stoney Creek, where some residents with 100-foot driveways still insist on parking on the street, leaving less room for others to receive visitors, Coun. Maria Pearson said.

I'm dumbfounded and I don't understand the mentality, but it happens," Pearson said.

In new Waterdown subdivisions, driveways aren't as wide and residents use garages for storage, Coun. Judi Partridge said.

This, with the addition of secondary units in homes, has made on-street parking out of control."

Coun. John-Paul Danko said he was kind of on the fence" about axing the 12-hour limit.

It's not fair for people working from home, but getting rid of the rule could result in abuse" from absentee landlords around Mohawk College.

The committee's 4-2 vote to explore bylaw changes awaits a final nod at council.

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com