Free 15-minute parking comes to Townsville CBD

Free 15-minute parking will be introduced in Townsville’s CBD to encourage more people to come into the city. 

Motorists will be able to park for the first 15 minutes free in any two-hour parking space in the city centre.

People will still need to collect a ticket from a machine so parking inspectors can ensure cars aren’t overstaying the free limit.

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The new parking incentive will be included in the Townsville City Council‘s 2018-19 Budget, which is due to be handed down on Tuesday.

Mayor Jenny Hill says she believes giving residents a 15-minute free parking window will result in more people travelling into Townsville’s CBD.

“Local businesses and the community have called for free parking in the city and my team of councillors has listened,” she says.

Encouraging people to come into the CBD with free parking will hopefully lead to more people rediscovering what’s on offer in our city

“It’s no secret some traders have been doing it tough over recent years but Council is doing whatever it can to try and boost trade by making it easier for everyone to come into the CBD.”

The free parking is expected to commence by the end of June.

Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney says the new parking policy will be a positive for local traders.

“Introducing free parking will allow everyone the chance to drop into the city to pick up a coffee, return a library book, post a letter or run errands without having to pay for a park,” she says.

“Encouraging people to come into the CBD with free parking will hopefully lead to more people rediscovering what’s on offer in our city.”

Greaney says the parking initiative was part of a broader strategy to develop the CBD into a more attractive place to visit.

“Council has put a lot of effort into enlivening our city, whether it’s through new street art projects or temporarily transforming vacant shopfronts through programs such as the Pop Up Percivals,” she says.

Earlier this year the council slashed parking fines for motorists who overstay their allocated time from $75 and $37 to $31.

Free CBD parking during the Christmas period will also return later this year.

This article from the Townsville Bulletin originally appeared as “Free 15-minute parking introduced in Townsville CBD”.