Ottawa mayoral candidate Lawson pledges to end all on-street parking fees

Mayoral candidate Alex Lawson is promising to eliminate paid parking on all of Ottawa's 4,337 on-street spaces if elected this fall, calling the fees "really a tax on shopping local."

Lawson cited Wellington, Somerset, and Bank streets as examples of areas where businesses have struggled as parking regulations tightened. The city collected $9.78 million in on-street parking revenue in 2025, against $7.42 million in operating costs — a $2.36 million surplus that goes to a reserve fund for future parking infrastructure. Lawson framed that as the city getting only seven cents on every dollar from parking.

City-owned parking lots and garages would continue charging under the plan. No-stopping zones, rush-hour clearances, school zones, loading zones, accessible parking spaces, and winter overnight parking bans would remain unchanged.

Mark Sutcliffe, seeking re-election as mayor, called the plan "bad for taxpayers and it's bad for business," saying he takes a balanced approach by charging where appropriate and offering free parking elsewhere. Jeff Leiper, a mayoral candidate and Kitchissippi councillor, said "paid parking manages demand" and supports reviewing rates regularly so they only apply where demand outpaces supply. Leiper argued that fees fund the entire parking system rather than shifting costs to everyone's tax bill.

Neil Saravanamuttoo, another mayoral candidate and economist, said "Lawson is showing that he doesn't understand basic economics."

Lawson claims paid parking hours have lengthened in recent years, parking areas have expanded, and parking tickets have increased.