Residential Parking Programs

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Edmonton’s Residential Parking Program helps to better manage parking in select neighbourhoods while recognizing curbside space is an asset to be shared.

Residential Parking Program Criteria

Only neighbourhoods within 800 metres of the following year-round significant traffic generators are eligible for a residential parking program:

Post-secondary institutions with at least 5,000 students
Major event venues of over 10,000 people with no private parking options
Active LRT station with adjoining transit centre with no park & ride facilities

Updating the program with new criteria was a required action under the Curbside Management Strategy. The new criteria is driven by data and public feedback gathered in 2023, and aligns with best practices in other cities as well as the City Plan.

Program Neighbourhoods and Maps

Residents who live in a neighbourhood with a continuing parking program will need to apply for digital permits in place of paper permits starting in June 2024. Digital permits will be available for an annual fee of $120, starting in September. This fee will be prorated to $40 for 2024, to cover September to December. Residents can use the HotSpot App starting on May 15, 2024 to apply and pay for their permit. The neighbourhoods that will remain in the program are as follows:

Note: Some of the neighbourhood boundaries have been reduced to align with the new program criteria, and streets outside the boundaries will return to standard on-street parking for residential areas.

Applying for a Permit

Until the digital permit process is in place, if you are a new homeowner within an existing neighbourhood with a residential parking program, you can apply for a temporary parking permit. These temporary permits will expire on May 31, 2024. All visitors, students, or households that either need to replace a lost or damaged permit or require one on behalf of a business can also apply.

Submit a Temporary Permission to Park Request

Note: More information about applying for permits on the digital permit system will be available after May 15, 2024.

Commercial Parking

Commercial parking permits allow parking in designated commercial vehicle loading zones and alleyways while loading or unloading goods.

Temporary Parking Permit

Temporary permits are available for households, students and visitors only in Residential Parking Areas. Standard residential parking is available in all other neighbourhoods.

Waste Bin, POD, SeaCan Permit

Commercial waste bins, PODs or SeaCans require a permit to be placed on City roads.

Trailer and RV Parking and Storage

Information on where you can park your recreational vehicle on private property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are changes being made to the residential parking program?

The program had not changed since its introduction in 1978 and had not been applied consistently. Managing the program varied in each neighbourhood, making it more complex to manage and harder for residents and visitors to understand. The changes will ensure the program is consistent throughout the city based on new criteria, align operating hours with EPark hours, and allow 2-hour visitor parking without permits. Modernizing the program was also a key action in the Council-endorsed Curbside Management Strategy.

Why is the residential parking program being removed from some neighbourhoods?

Each of the original 19 neighbourhoods had different restrictions. The new criteria create more consistency throughout the city. Twelve neighbourhoods will be removed from the program because they do not have significant traffic generators within 800 metres. The remaining 7 neighbourhoods will have the boundaries adjusted to fit within the 800-metre radius.

Why were only 3 major traffic generators selected as criteria for the program?

Under the new criteria, traffic generators must create high parking demand that is observable over a consecutive period, or at least 2 times per week to warrant a program in the neighbourhood. Many facilities that have been criteria in the past - hospitals, sports fields, playgrounds/parks, and schools - do not consistently generate high parking demand year-round so were removed from the criteria.

Why does the program criteria include an 800-metre radius from a traffic generator?

Many of the program areas were found to be larger than necessary to address parking congestion. Based on research of programs in other municipalities, we found most programs had a boundary of 800 metres, or a 4-block radius or a 10-minute walk for most people. Some neighbourhoods have an arterial road as their boundary, which can be a barrier for individuals to park and walk to a traffic generator. In some cases, arterial roads can make a Residential Parking Program area smaller than an 800-metre radius.

Why introduce a fee for the permits? Why is it no longer free?

The fee will cover the costs of issuing permits and enforcement in program areas. The permit fee is standard practice in other cities with similar residential parking programs, and Edmonton’s rate is competitive with other jurisdictions.

Permits are not mandatory and are only needed for households who require curbside space for longer than the 2 hour parking minimum. Discount rates for students, low-income households and other special needs groups are available using the Annual Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) figures set by the Canada Revenue Agency. This is the same measure used for the City’s Leisure Access and Ride Transit Programs.

Is there a safety impact to removing the Residential Parking Program?

The Residential Parking Program is a program to manage high parking demand, not high traffic or safety issues. The City can target specific safety issues, such as increased traffic, speeding and school drop off / pick up zones, with other programs such as the Safe Crossings Program, Vision Zero Street Labs, Speed Humps and Tables, and Safe Routes to School.

Contact Us

Parks and Roads Services

Email	parkingassets@edmonton.ca
Phone	311