Should Edmonton bring back physical parking meters?

Edmonton city council is looking into bringing back physical parking kiosks, just a few months after the last ones were removed from sidewalks across the city.

It’s part of the city’s 2026 budget talks.

The City of Edmonton switched to mobile-only payments using the Hotspot app last year, saying the decision was made to save taxpayers money.

The final physical meters were removed over the summer.

Now, bringing them back could cost about $2.8 million.

CityNews spoke to Edmontonians about the mobile app versus meter debate.

“Personally I think it’s more convenient if we just use apps and try to minimize our spending,” said Mark Schiffke. “Especially during these times right now.”

“The app works for me, at least,” said Dylan Doucet. “I know some people maybe don’t have access to it but I think that’s quite a lot of money spending on that, so I think there may be a better alternative to that.”

“To be honest, I try to bike and run as much as I can,” Matt Stricklend told CityNews. “It’s true because of that, I don’t have the app, so usually it’s a bit of a pain to try to get it, so the kiosk might be nice for that. But I’m pretty unbiased about it. Trust council. They’ll try to do what’s best for the city.”

“I like the app,” added Nicole. “I like the QR code scanner. It makes it a lot easier. … I don’t think the city provides great options for people with accessibility issues, seniors. They kind of get left behind with all of the moving technology.”

Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack says the city is aware of some residents’ concerns with the parking app.

“I’ve used it and seen it in other cities and it works far, far better, and so I know we’re working with the provider to do those types of upgrades so people have the same functionality here in Edmonton,” Knack said.

The mayor also sees opportunities to improve the app.

“If you pay for four hours of parking and you’re finishing up in two-and-a-half hours, why can’t we let somebody end that session early and just bank that money for a future parking session so they’re not essentially wasting that money,” he suggested.
If the city decides to buy new kiosks, the $2.8 million cost would pay for fewer than there were before.

–With files from Lauren Boothby