On-Street vs. Off-street Parking Systems: Permits and Enforcement
Posted: Aug, 31, 2020 8:24AM ET • 2 min read
If you are new to working in the parking industry or have recently taken over your organization’s parking program, you might be wondering what people mean when they refer to on- and off-street parking.
On-street Parking
On-street parking refers to available parking spaces for vehicles on a street within a designated area. Many municipalities across Canada provide on-street parking to the public, which can be within residential or commercial areas. If a paid parking regulation is in place, on-street parking is usually managed and controlled using a combination of parking meters, parking enforcement services, and parking signage that outlines the regulations and instructions for the paid on-street parking area.
Although some on-street parking operations may not have paid policy in place, there will usually be regulations that stipulate certain hours that vehicles can be parked on the road or how long they can park. Such regulations are controlled by the municipality and enforced by parking or bylaw officers.
Off-street Parking
Off-street parking refers to available parking spaces for vehicles within an enclosed parking lot or garage. Parking lots can be owned by a municipality, government organizations or privately owned. If the parking lot has access and control regulations in place, they may vary from a paid parking system or reserved parking for permit holders, customers, tenants, visitors, or a mixture of both. There are various access and control solutions for parking lots, ranging from parking meters, gated parking systems, mobile payment apps and much more.
So what are the main differences between on- and off-street parking? We’ve summarized them for you:
Location: Exactly how it sounds, on-street parking for vehicles is on the side of a road. Off-street parking is the opposite; parking is provided within a parking lot.
Equipment options: For paid parking regulations, access and control systems for on-street parking systems cannot be managed by gated parking equipment, whereas off-street parking can benefit from a full suit of parking technologies to manage their access and control.
Enforcement: Since on-street parking systems with regulations are subject to an honour system, parking enforcement services must be in place for control.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Bray
Senior Proposal Writer
Since joining Precise ParkLink in 2019, James has seen his responsibilities grow to include writing for management and the marketing department on some of their special projects to support a variety of business needs. James holds BAs in psychology and political science and a further MA in international relations, all from Carleton University. After ten years in a variety of roles in the public and private sectors, James pivoted his career away from the social sciences and pursued a graduate certificate in technical writing from Algonquin College, graduating at the top of his class. Never satisfied with anything “good enough,” James is currently pursuing a project management certificate at the University of Toronto on a part-time basis as a way to continue developing the skills he can offer.
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