Two parking trials begin in the Ipswich city centre from Monday 26 October.
The six month trials adopted by Ipswich City Council include a new 15-minute free parking option and the removal of timed and priced parking in the CBD on Saturdays.
Council provides more than 3,500 parking spaces in the Ipswich city centre, which includes both on-street and off-street spaces. Of these parking spaces, approximately 710 spaces are subject to priced parking while the remaining are either unrestricted or managed using time restrictions.
A new City of Ipswich Parking Pricing Strategy recommended various options going forward, including the parking trials.
They will go ahead from Monday until April 2021 with motorists, shoppers and businesses able to have their say via councils Shape You Ipswich page.
Deputy Mayor Marnie Doyle said the new strategy will provide a framework for priced parking, allowing council to respond to different parking contexts in a systematic and consistent manner.
“A new option is now available that allows users of parking in the CBD to choose a 15-minute free parking option. This will allow users to print and display a 15-minute parking ticket at no cost. Stays longer than 15 minutes will still require users to pay for parking,” she said.
“Currently time and pay restrictions are in place on Saturdays between 8am – 11:30am. This trial will remove the need for payment and time restrictions to on-street parking within the CBD.
“It is great news for the business community and for people coming to the CBD. Some of the most common complaints have been from motorists having to pay for a brief stop in the city centre.”
Cr Doyle said council wants feedback from the public on the trials and whether they should become permanent, varied in any way, or any additional suggestions to make parking easier in and around the CBD.
“It is particularly important at this time, with the Ipswich Central redevelopment nearing completion, that we learn what works best for motorists and businesses in the CBD,” said Cr Doyle, chair of the Ipswich Central Redevelopment Committee.
Speaking at the committee meeting which saw the new strategy introduced in June, she said the CBD and businesses had been struggling for a long time and the trials were a “great initiative” and would be broadly welcomed by retailers and shoppers.
Fellow Division 3 Councillor Andrew Fechner said that while the trial was a good outcome for locals, it was also a significant change for CBD businesses and encouraged them to make their voices heard through Shape Your Ipswich.
In other city centre parking news, people visiting the new Nicholas Street Precinct will be able to use the car park under Tulmur Place.
Parking will be free after 5pm work days and free all day Saturday and Sunday; during the week the first three hours will be free with an hourly fee after that period up to a maximum value for the whole day. There is also an early bird option for week day customers.
There will be about 1000 spaces under Tulmur Place. There is other off and on street parking within a short walking distance of Tulmur Place.
The majority of the car park (B3 to B6) is open currently, the remaining floors (B1 and B2) will reopen in mid-November 2020 following the completion of some ancillary works.
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>>>Council to trial free 15-minute parking within the city centre in new strategy
Redland City Council provides free parking for it’s residents. This should be the aim of Ipswich Council, to help it’s ratepayers not leech from them as past Councils allegedly did.