Holiday shoppers will park for free in some parts of Mississauga if plan approved

Mississauga shoppers will once again park for free in certain areas of Port Credit and Clarkson this holiday season if city councillors give the green light to an annual plan to waive on-street parking charges.

The matter was raised at the City of Mississauga’s meeting of general committee Wednesday morning where councillors discussed a staff report that details a plan to waive on-street parking charges in specific areas of south Mississauga from Nov. 30 through Jan. 15, 2024.

The aim, as in past years when pay-and-display parking charges were similarly waived, is to help shops, restaurants and other businesses continue to recover from the devastating financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials say. 

Port Credit and Clarkson BIAs have once again asked the city to waive the parking charges inside their business areas in an effort to give businesses a better chance of competing with shopping malls across the city where customer parking is free.   

The Port Credit BIA has also asked the city to expand the free-parking area to include part of the Lakeshore Road corridor that lies just outside its boundary.

“The holiday shopping season is important to the success of the Port Credit and Clarkson Business Improvement Areas, especially this year,” reads the report from Mississauga’s commissioner of transportation and works Geoff Wright. “The retail members of these BIAs must compete with shopping malls and plazas that do not charge for parking.” 

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The report continues, noting that a parking fee holiday “…would allow customers of the respective BIAs to park in those areas at no cost. Both BIAs’ board of directors feel that this initiative will be well received by the community and will assist their member businesses during the holiday season.”

If given the go-ahead by councillors, on-street parking fees will be waived during the holiday season in areas both within and outside Port Credit BIA borders, and within the Clarkson BIA borders (see map below). 

City staff estimates a loss of revenue totalling as much as $40,500 ($40,000 of that total in Port Credit) if the plan is approved. 

Map shows areas of Port Credit and Clarkson where on-street parking fees would be waived from Nov. 30 through Jan. 15, 2024.