The ongoing debate about parking continues. The Town of Collingwood has moved forward to hire a consulting firm to investigate the situation and report back to council with a parking strategy. The Toronto based BA Group creates sustainable plans for the movement of people and goods in urban environments. The company solves challenging pedestrian, bicycle, transit and automobile transportation problems by applying planning, design and collaboration with other professionals in dealing with every unique situation, including parking issues.

The Town of Collingwood has been wrestling with parking issues, especilly throughout the growing downtown district, for years. Recently, Councilor Dave LaBelle threw out an idea to turn the downtown Eddie Bush Memorial Arena into a huge indoor parking garage to help ease the demand for downtown parking. Proposed new developments for the downtown district will only add to the already high demand for more parking.

Collingwood Parking Advisory Committe Chair Person Michael Christie says a report will be presented to Collingwood Council in March, 2008. The Downtown Collingwood BIA has been running a two hour free parking promotion which has been received well by both merchants and shoppers. Christie points out that whether or not the parking appears to be free, it has to be paid for in some manner including taxes. How the parking is to be paid for is a major question for the Parking Advisory Committee and now the BA Group to consider when putting together the March presentation for Council.

Christie says the Town of Collingwood is looking at a deficit approaching $80,000.00 because of the 2 Hour Free Parking Program and costs associated with having an additional enforcement officer.