GO commuters turn Brampton plaza into all-day parking lot to avoid fees

Commuters trying to avoid parking fees at Brampton’s Mount Pleasant GO Station are instead leaving their vehicles all day in the parking lot of a nearby shopping plaza and library, frustrating business owners who say customers are being driven away because they can’t find a place to park.

The issue was raised at Wednesday’s (July 8) Brampton city council meeting by Regional Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar, who said merchants in the Mount Pleasant Village area have been complaining for years that GO riders are taking up parking spaces intended for shoppers.

According to Brar, the problem is concentrated around the businesses and Mount Pleasant Library on Commuter Drive and Bleasdale Avenue, where some vehicles remain parked for as long as eight hours.

“Store owners are very frustrated and have raised concerns about the profit, customer loss due to the lack of availability of parking,” Brar told council.

She said the lack of available parking has become so severe that some would-be customers simply drive away rather than search for another space on nearby residential streets.

Brar said she and Coun. Rod Power have visited the area and spoken with business owners and residents about the ongoing problem.

While parking is available at Mount Pleasant GO Station, including overflow parking on Salvation Drive, Brar said some commuters continue to park in spaces reserved for businesses and library patrons instead.

She noted that city staff have previously studied the issue, but said several new businesses have since opened and have contacted councillors to complain that the problem persists.

Business owners are now preparing a petition asking the city to introduce parking restrictions to discourage GO commuters from using the plaza and library parking lots as free, all-day parking.

Brar has asked city staff to conduct a new survey, consult with local merchants and report back with possible solutions, including one- or two-hour parking limits that would help ensure spaces remain available for customers.

“We do support our businesses and we want them to thrive,” Brar said, adding that she hopes the city can find a long-term solution to a problem that has plagued the area for years.