Downtown Midland providing free parking in 2024

As of 2024, parking in downtown Midland will be free with the town’s new paid parking program.

“We’ve heard concerns that if there is all-day parking there with no restrictions that, perhaps people will park right in front of the businesses, and that may not have the turnover, which is why it’s important to note that we do have a 2-hour limit,” said Steve Farquharson, Midland Community and Growth executive director.

The town is putting together a special committee to collaborate and develop a new program.

“The ad-hoc committee that council is establishing will be made up of two members of the BIA, two members of the public, as well as a council member and staff as support staff as well,” said Farquharson.

The Mayor of Midland said the more voices involved in this matter, the better.

“The only way to really make sure we’re getting it right this time is to involve the merchants, to involve the stakeholders and people that aren’t downtown. Get all their voices together, look at what it actually costs to break even and hope to try to meet that minimum standard,” said Gordon.

In the meantime, the ‘pay and display’ parking machines will stay where they are but will be turned off.

“If we were to remove them, we’d have to store them; we’d have to get pavers to fill up the hole where they are, the electrical. So council made the determination to leave them in place,” said Farquharson.

However, the mayor said that without parking fees as a revenue source, someone must pay parking enforcement, maintenance, and insurance costs.

“That’ll need to be covered during our budget deliberations in January. But the long and the short of it is without a revenue-generating tool, those costs will be borne by all the ratepayers in the municipality until we come up with plan B,” said Gordon.

During the month of December, free parking is in place as a way to encourage downtown shopping during the holiday season.