The City of Portage la Prairie would like to remind our downtown visitors that electronic enforcement of time-limited street parking in the downtown area will begin September 1, 2020.

Free two-hour street parking is in effect from 4th St NW to 5th St NE along Saskatchewan Avenue and on designated side streets. New signage has been installed and parking will be monitored and enforced Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Evening and weekend parking will remain free.

Once the free two-hour time limit has expired, vehicles must be moved at least one City block face to avoid being ticketed. A City block face is defined as “the parking area on one side of a street bordered by an intersection at each end”.

Downtown Parking will be enforced using the innovative technology of AutoChalk’s advanced license plate recognition system. AutoChalk recognizes vehicle parking infractions by using a combination of license plate recognition and vehicle recognition technology to accurately determine plate, color, contour, and length of each scanned vehicle.

It is important to note that parking tickets will no longer be placed on your windshield. Electronic Parking tickets issued in the downtown area will be sent in the mail and it may take a day or two to receive your ticket.

Parking tickets can be paid for in person at City Hall, by mail, online with your credit card or with our City’s new e-Transfer option. Fines for parking violations are $50 but are reduced to $25 or $30 if paid within the 14-day early payment period, in most cases.

For the latest information related to Downtown Parking, including maps, FAQ’s and informational videos, visit our website at http://www.city-plap.com/cityplap/city-hall/projects/downtown-parking-strategy/ .  Please check back often, as this site will be updated regularly.