PARKING – Residents have a chance to try out new downtown machine options
The much-maligned pay stations. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
The City is seeking residents’ help in selecting a new provider for pay parking services.
Plans are to replace its existing pay parking infrastructure to improve convenience, including mobile payments, contactless options, and licence plate-based enforcement.
The existing system has been a source of frustration since its inception several years ago due to the difficulty in reading the kiosks. Residents are invited to attend two demonstration sessions to try out the shortlisted pay parking machine options and provide feedback. Input will help determine the preferred system, says the City.
The demonstration sessions will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 5:30–7:30 p.m., in the Kia Lounge at the Sandman Centre and on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 5:30–7:30 p.m., in the Sports Centre Lounge at the McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre.
Residents may drop in at any time during the scheduled time. “It will only take a few minutes to participate, and your feedback will help the City choose a system that truly works for the community,” the City said today (Jan. 7, 2025) in a news release.
Pay parking in Kamloops covers about 800 on-street parking spaces downtown, pay-and-display machines in nine off-street parking lots, pay-by-space parking at the Tournament Capital Centre, and two City-owned parkades on Seymour Street and Lansdowne Street.
“As the community continues to grow, there is an increasing demand for curb space and parking turnover. Improving our infrastructure provides the opportunity to expand paid parking, which supports a growing city by improving access to businesses and services while encouraging efficient use of limited parking resources.”
The City expects a new contract to be in place by the end of February, and the new pay parking service is expected to be installed and operational in spring 2026.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
I vividly remember last time around plenty of constructive feedback was provided in regard to the parking kiosks. It was immediately dismissed by the Trawin/McCorkell fiasco. This is another blatant and ongoing example on how to waste millions due to stubborn incompetence.
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2 things:The Kia Lounge at the Sandman Centre and the Sports Centre Lounge at the McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre, are lovely, warm and well acquainted spaces to meetup with these machines and info laden staff ready to answer questions. How nice.
One day when I real-world test these machines out, far away from these friendly spaces … and be actually out there in -30c wind, with ice and frost covering the screen and buttons, or +40c with the blacktop melting and the sun beating down on the plastic and the screen. We dont park indoors on Victoria St.
and
Will the price for parking increase, to pay for these machines? How much you wanna bet THIS Council will absolutely just hear from staff that “Kamloops street parking fees are below the BC small city market average” as walking orders to jack the price?
Kamloops Council; Have some guts, ignore what everyone else does, dont increase parking fees, pay for these machines, and cancel some passion projects to pay for them. Think outside your own box.
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