This is an example of a new parking sign. A letter (A through H) will note the pay zone.
Paid On-Street Parking
Coming this fall to municipal streets we are moving from individual meters to pay stations – this is a pay-by-plate, pay-by-zone system. You will start to see concrete pads, pay stations, and signage being installed in the coming weeks and months.
New parking technology will make it easier to pay and is introducing more payment options like credit card, debit card, and smart pay. Payment is attached to your vehicle, not the parking space. This means your vehicle can move freely within the parking zone up to the time purchase or maximum time allowed.
The map displays the new parking zones. Click the map for a high-res version.
How it works:
When looking for on-street paid parking in areas that have historically had meters, look for these signs and note your pay parking ZONE. Zones are listed on parking signage and are letters A through H.
Once parked, you can find your nearest pay station to pay using coins, debit, credit, or Apple Pay. You can also use the HotSpot app on your mobile device (download it on the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android) to pay. You will need to know your license plate and parking zone to initiate a parking session.
Tip: note your license plate in your phone or write it down on a piece of paper and keep it in your purse or wallet so you don't forget.
On-street parking rates:
Where on-street parking is available is divided up into paid parking zones.
- All paid parking zones have a 4 hour maximum
- Rates vary by zone
Zones A,B, C, D, E, F & G
- $2/hr for the first two hours
- $6/hr for hours 3 and 4 up to a maximum of 4 hours in any zone
Zone H
- $1.50/hr for the first two hours
- $4/hr for hours 3 and 4 up to a maximum of 4 hours in any zone
Permit parking
It has never been easier to purchase and manage your residential or commuter parking permits. Coming this fall, you can register for parking permits, submit and manage your documents, re-apply for or change permit locations online. Most permits will be tied to your license plate - no need to display permits in your window.
Learn more about our parking permit options
Managing, disputing and paying for parking tickets
With the new ticket management portal you can manage your parking tickets, track the status of ticket disputes and pay for your parking ticket on a secure platform.
Common Questions
- Will all parking meters in HRM be replaced with pay stations?
-
Yes. At a minimum there will be one multi-space parking pay station per block with consideration given to a reasonable walking distance between pay stations.
- What is changing as part of this project?
-
The municipality is replacing existing parking infrastructure with modern technology solutions including:
On-street parking pay stations that provide modern and more methods for purchasing on-street parking that will offer more options to pay including coin, credit, and smart pay.
Parking mobile payment solution - the Hotspot app provides a modern and convenient method for paying for parking including the ability to manage your parking session remotely and receive refunds for un-used time.
Parking enforcement solution - that enables efficient and accurate parking enforcement. The municipality will also evaluate the advantages of a mobile license plate recognition solution to aid parking enforcement activities.
Parking permit management solution - to manage your permit online from the comfort of your home.
Parking ticket management system (PTMS) solution - retirement of the existing technology solution (PTMS) that has reached end of life and replacing it with a new PTMS solution to support parking ticket payment and enforcement. - Why is parking changing?
-
The municipality's current parking meters are coming to the end of their useful life. This provides an opportunity to modernize parking technology to better serve the region's citizens, businesses, and visitors.
- How will this impact parking that is currently available in parking lots or parkades?
-
The new technology will not impact available parking in existing lots or parkades.
- How will I know if I must pay to park on the street and how do I know where to go to pay?
-
Signs will be installed on the streets where the parking meters are being removed to indicate that payment is required on that street. At least one parking pay station will be available on each block. Staff are working on communication strategies to ensure the public are notified well in advance of the changes.
- Will the new pay stations be like the pay-and-display machines that are in some off-street parking lots?
-
We are looking forward to bringing the latest in parking technology on street including a pay by plate system which will not require residents to display anything in their windshield.