FAQs

Proposed updates align with parking and mobility initiatives set out in Go Victoria, Climate Leadership Plan, Accessibility Framework, Electric Vehicle (EV) and Electric Mobility Strategy and the newly adopted Victoria 2050 Official Community Plan.

Phase One will include targeted engagement with industry partners and curbside data collection to inform future residential parking changes. It will conclude with a public hearing to adopt updated parking regulations for new developments.

Phase Two will include public engagement on a new residential parking program, expanding meter parking in select, high-demand areas to increase parking access and the exploration of the feasibility of a new parkade outside of downtown.

Current policies, regulations and programs do not align with City policies and no longer meet the City’s mobility needs. Changes will address evolving mobility trends, better align with existing and emerging City policy and Provincial goals and look to balance competing demand for limited curb space.

 In Phase One, we will be updating off-street parking requirements for new developments with feedback from industry partners and start data collection and targeted engagement for future curbside management.

Phase Ttwo will see public engagement on a new approach to residential parking before the start of gradual implementation, the exploration of a new parkade outside of downtown and the rollout of meter parking in select areas with high demand to increase parking access.

The timeline for overall parking updates is a multi-year phased approach. Parking updates for new developments will start with targeted engagement with industry partners and conclude with a public hearing in spring 2026 to adopt the proposed changes. Updates for curbside management will be a multi-year, gradual process starting with data collection this fall.

Accessibility and equity are core City principles. The parking modernization process will continue to review and refine parking policy to meet the diverse mobility needs of Victorians, including those impacted by geographic and income inequities.  Consultation with the City’s Accessibility Advisory Committee will be key to the development and future implementation of parking updates.

• Phase one started in 2025 and will include focused engagement with industry partners and curbside data collection to inform future curbside management programs. 
•  A report back to Council with draft off-street parking bylaws is anticipated in early 2026.
•  Phase two is anticipated to begin in late 2026/early 2027 and will include public engagement on proposed updates to residential street parking. 

 Residents can learn more about what is happening by visiting engage.victoria.ca and information will also be shared by mail via the print Connect newsletter. Residents are encouraged to subscribe to the City's monthly Connect e-newsletter to get all the latest City news, including when parking engagement starts.

Feedback from industry stakeholders will be used to refine regulations for parking in new developments. Feedback from the public will be used to inform future street parking changes including a new approach to residential parking.

Yes. Within five years after adoption, staff will report back to Council with information and analysis of emerging mobility trends and any revisions to off-street mobility regulations.  

Off-street mobility refers to regulations that manage requirements for vehicle parking space, accessible spaces, bicycle parking, car share spaces, loading spaces, electric vehicle charging spaces and infrastructure in private developments. 

The new approach proposes to have flexible parking requirements for affordable housing based on the needs of residents and market conditions. The approach also proposes updates to parking requirements for market rental housing and family housing to help support the creation of more affordable, rental and family housing in Victoria. 

In the first phase of engagement, meetings are being held with downtown business representatives and industry partners in areas such as housing, business, transportation (all modes), accessibility and development to share information and collect feedback on proposed off-street parking updates to inform the development of bylaw updates.

Phase two will include public engagement on proposed changes to residential parking updates informed by phase one.

Yes, accessible and visitor parking will still be required in new developments. No changes to accessible or visitor parking rates and requirements are part of the proposed changes.  

Yes, proposed updates will still require accessible parking as well as visitor parking. 

Proposed off-street parking changes downtown allow parking in new developments to have the flexibility to provide parking spaces based on the needs of the development and future residents. Proposed updates will still require new downtown developments to provide accessible and visitor parking as well as TDM measures to encourage sustainable transportation options. 

Updated off-street parking regulations will better align with existing City policy to encourage the use of sustainable transportation and help address the climate and housing crises.

The previous approach was centred on vehicle parking requirements based on estimated neighbourhood parking needs. 

The new approach aims to respond to mobility trends, including reduced car ownership and demand for sustainable transportation options to provide the right mix of vehicle parking, cycling infrastructure, car-share vehicles and memberships, transit passes and cash investments for transportation to meet the diverse needs of residents.

Parking supply rates are typically calculated based on a ratio of stalls per unit (residential uses) or gross floor area (non-residential uses). These rates were last updated in 2018 and were developed through parking studies and ICBC data.  

Yes. A maximum rate of 10 per cent more than the baseline number of spaces can be provided to help balance land use goals and development needs. Developers that wish to provide higher numbers of parking spaces would apply to the City for a variance.

The proposed update gives developers the option to build a car-free or car-lite development in dense, walkable areas of the city without applying for a variance.

 It is anticipated that residents choosing to live in these buildings will be less dependent on cars as there will be diverse sustainable transportation options available to them, including car-share.

The new regulations would allow a development to provide the right mix of mobility options for a site, anywhere in the City, whether that is through off-street parking, TDM or cash-in-lieu.  

While some developers may choose a car free project, it is anticipated that the majority of projects will continue to provide a mix of parking and mobility options that reflect market demand. 

No, the parking update looks to increase options for housing developers to provide a range of transportation options, including parking, that meet the diverse needs of residents. 

No. This new approach would still allow developers to provide parking, should they choose to do so, but would also support car-lite design options in all forms of development across the city. 

Proposed updates seek to provide flexibility for new developments, recognizing that location, access to transit, proximity to cycling infrastructure and market conditions inform the amount of parking in new developments. It is anticipated that most developments will continue to provide off-street parking spaces. 

The parking modernization process will introduce a new common set of regulations for off-street loading spaces that will standardize loading requirements and introduce loading space requirements for residential developments over a certain size to accommodate increased demand for home delivery, food delivery and service vehicles.

The parking modernization process will update bicycle parking requirements to give more space for larger bicycles such as cargo bikes, bicycle repair stations, end of trip amenities (e.g., showers or change rooms) and charging for e-bikes.

Yes, updated regulations would establish mobility requirements for new developments across the city.

Curbside management refers to the regulations and programs that manage on-street curb use. This includes all types of street parking and space for loading, deliveries, patios, placemaking, transit and cycling infrastructure.  

Future updates will look to balance access to limited curb space for residents, employees, customers and businesses, however they get around. This will be a multi-year, phased approach that starts with data collection on current curb regulations and use.

Proposed updates seek to balance access to limited curb space. This includes a new approach to managing residential parking while also providing space to enable more sustainable transportation options including transit and cycling. Updating and modernizing curbside management strategies is about finding that right balance that meets our community needs. 

No major changes to street parking downtown are planned. Those looking for parking downtown can continue to use City parkades with real-time availability, surface parking lots as well as meter parking for shorter stays.

The feasibility of an additional parkade north of downtown will also be explored. 

The City is exploring future actions to improve street parking and curbside management in Victoria. This includes:

• Gathering and monitoring data about current curb space use and regulations to inform future changes
• A new approach to residential street parking
• Expanding meter parking outside of downtown in select, high-demand areas
• Exploring the feasibility of a new parkade north of downtown

Once refined, including with feedback from engagement, actions will be implemented gradually over the next several years, after further Council check-ins along the way. 

Updating curbside management strategies will improve accessibility in the city in multiple ways:

• Passenger loading zones will be updated to include more accessible design features
• older accessible parking spaces will be updated to new design standards adopted in 2022
• opportunities to add more accessible parking spaces throughout the city will continue to be explored

The City will work closely with the Accessibility Advisory Committee throughout implementation and development.  

The City will be considering everyone’s mobility needs, including those driving motorbikes.

No new Residential Parking Only zones will be implemented while we work on a new approach to residential parking. The goal will be a program that is clearer, more effective and more equitable. 

Details will be developed over the next year including an opportunity for public engagement and feedback. A new approach will be reported back to Council before future implementation.

Residential Parking Only (RPO) zones have been the traditional approach for addressing street parking issues in residential areas of Victoria. These issues have come from high parking demand due to nearby employment or commercial areas.

As the City continues to grow and densify, RPO zones are becoming less effective in addressing increasing parking demand in many areas of the city as they can transfer the problem to nearby streets. New RPO zones will no longer be implemented while a new approach to residential parking is being developed.

A curb space inventory is needed to accurately assess current curb space use and regulations in Victoria to help inform decisions that can balance curb space demands and transportation needs. Data collection is anticipated to begin this fall.

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures provide on-site infrastructure and access to other forms of transportation options such as bicycle parking, transit passes, car-share memberships and vehicle infrastructure to encourage use of sustainable transportation and help enable developments to offset or replace off-street vehicle parking demand.

Current processes allow applicants to apply for a parking variance if they do not meet minimum parking supply requirements. TDM measures are then negotiated for each application to determine the right balance of TDM to offset vehicle parking requirements.

Updates propose to standardize TDM measures and remove the need for variance applications for TDM measures to reduce time, cost and uncertainty for applicants.   

TDM requirements are being proposed for all new developments downtown, in major mobility hubs and along the transit priority network.

 A cash-in-lieu parking program gives developers the choice to pay funds to a municipality instead of providing required off-street parking spaces. Accessible and visitor parking will always be required in addition to cash-in-lieu. Funds collected by a municipality can be used for public parking infrastructure or sustainable transportation projects, such as cycling, pedestrian or transit improvements.

Yes, a similar approach to parking requirements was approved by Council for the Missing Middle Housing Initiative. Under this proposed off-street mobility policy, developments could provide fewer off-street parking stalls in exchange for TDM measures that encourage and enable more sustainable transportation.

The parking modernization process will revise and update standards for electric vehicle charging facilities and introduce opportunities for expansion of the carshare network through dedicated vehicles and parking, available to all car share members.

 EcoPASS is not a transit pass, it is funds provided by developers that go towards pre-paid bus passes for new residents to incentivize transit use.

The proposed regulations aim to reduce private vehicle parking while encouraging sustainable transportation options through Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures with:

•    Pre-paid bus passes for residents (EcoPasses)

•    Increased parking and charging for larger bikes like cargo and e-bikes

•    Increased charging for electric vehicles 

•    Securing additional funds for sustainable transportation and public parking

•    Dedicated car share vehicles, parking and memberships

•    Cash-in-Lieu of parking will contribute to improvements to public parking and infrastructure for walking, cycling and rolling.

While some developers may choose a car free project, it is anticipated that the majority of projects will continue to provide a mix of parking and mobility options that reflect market demand.

These changes help balance parking needs with sustainable transportation choices and will allow more space to be dedicated to amenities and green space.

The off-street parking review is re-examining mobility options for small-scale Missing Middle housing options like houseplexes.  This review will consider balancing the mobility needs of a project with impacts on project viability, streetscape and urban design goals. 

Updating parking regulations will encourage sustainable and more affordable transportation choices and options including for car share, transit and electric vehicles.

Modernizing parking regulations will increase opportunities for tree planting, landscaping and amenity space in Victoria.  

The parking modernization process proposes to remove the requirement for vehicle parking spaces in new affordable housing projects, freeing up funding and resources to provide more housing and amenities for tenants.

A consultant will identify estimated costs for a new parkade as a key component of the feasibility study.

In May 2024, Council directed staff to explore opportunities for a new parkade outside of downtown.  

The City will work with a consultant to undertake a parkade feasibility study including financial implications and potential locations as well as exploring options for public parking in new developments.