Edmonton business owners frustrated over City parking app
Posted May 6, 2026 4:49 pm.
Last Updated May 6, 2026 6:40 pm.
Business owners on 124 Street — west of Edmonton’s downtown — are telling CityNews that old “ePark” payment signs for street parking are causing confusion for their customers after the city ditched the parking app nearly a year ago.
“A lot of our customers are seniors, and they do not have a smartphone. A lot of them, strangely enough. And they don’t know how to use a QR code. So, they end up just gambling that they’re not going to get a ticket,” explained Clinton Beck, the owner of Beck Antiquities and Jewellery.
Beck says that since the City of Edmonton ditched these physical parking metres last year, instead opting for online-only payment through an app, it’s been tougher for his older clientele to pay for street parking.
Further complicating things, he says, the City switched to a different app called “Hotspot” to pay for parking, but in many spots, signage for “ePark” was still in place.
“If you try to use the QR code, the app doesn’t work. I’m very computer literate, I build websites and do computer programming — and even I can’t figure out how to pay my parking things,” said Beck.
CityNews reached out to a dozen businesses along 124 Street to ask about their concerns about parking. Half of those businesses responded, expressing the same frustrations with the use of the app, with others adding that their customers are skeptical of giving financial information to a parking app.
Councillor Michael Janz told CityNews he understands what he says are “growing pains” with moving to digital-only parking payment, but says when City leaders debate street parking along Whyte Avenue next month, any changes to the current way of paying for parking he’d like to see would focus on improving the digital experience.
“My parents are seniors, and they’ve paid for parking when they’re in Edmonton. I don’t think this is an age issue; sometimes it might just be a system, a user experience,” said Councillor Michael Janz.
“For example, the farmer’s market parking lot has been very full. Other areas on Whyte Ave have been full. People have adapted, people have adapted to the changing platform, and we’re seeing higher and higher usage of the app.”
Mayor Andrew Knack told CityNews that the previous city council began to explore options for physical parking payment before the 2025 civic election, and it’s something he wants to follow up on.
“Methods for those who don’t have a smartphone to find a path forward. I know there are other cities who have also gone down this path. We certainly do have a lot of seniors who might not have those smartphones readily available,” said Mayor Knack.
The City of Edmonton’s parks and roads department told CityNews through an email that changes to bring back physical parking would have to come from city council. Encouraging people to call 311 if a QR code on a parking sign is not working.
But for Beck, who makes a living selling antiquities, he says some things are better the old way.
“Put the old change metres back for crying out loud, at least you can use it,” said Beck.
