Londoners venturing out this New Year's Eve won't have to worry about feeding the parking meter after midnight.
For the second year in a row, the city is offering free parking in municipal lots between midnight and 1pm New Year's Day.
The initiative encourages those who have had a drink or two to leave their vehicle without worry of financial repercussion, and opt to take a cab or the bus home instead. The city is hoping more motorists will take advantage of the program this year.
"We think we were a little late coming out of the gates giving the information out to the public last year," says Annette Drost, manager of municipal law enforcement services with the city. "It wasn't as highly utilized as we would have liked. That's why we are giving the public more advanced notice this year, so they can be aware and make their decision well in advance."
Throughout the downtown, Richmond Row and Old East there are 19 municipal lots of varying sizes with a combined total of 1,500 parking spaces available. The free overnight parking does not apply to on-street parking or privately owned lots.
"We didn't have any complaints that people didn't know it was only municipal lots last year," says Drost. "But we want to stress again that it is only lots with the green "P", if you don't see that then it isn't one of our lots so you will need to pay the meter."
Below is a list of the 19 municipal lots eligible in the downtown, Richmond Row and Old East areas of the city.
Lot 1 Dundas/Elizabeth/English Street – 434 Elizabeth Street Lot 2 Dundas/Elizabeth/Adelaide – 641 Queens Avenue Lot 3N Oxford West of Richmond – 743 Richmond Street Lot 3E Piccadilly/Oxford St E. - 234 Piccadilly Street Lot 3W Piccadilly West of Richmond – 210 Piccadilly Street Lot 4 Adelaide/Marshall Street (Tolpuddle) 635 Marshall Street Lot 5 Queens Ave East of Richmond – 185 Queens Avenue Lot 6 Kent Street West of Richmond – 174 Kent Street Lot 7 Dundas/Rectory - 824 Dundas Street Lot 8 Budweiser Gardens - 99 Dundas Street Lot 11 King Street East of Thames – 331 Thames Street Lot 12 Ridout/Horton Street – 199 Ridout Street N Lot 15 Convention Centre – 300 York Street Lot 16 205 Oxford Street Lot 17 Thames Street – 331 Thames Street Lot 19 Museum London – 421 Ridout Street Lot 20 – 155 Kent Street Lot 21 – 558 Talbot Street Lot 22 – 695 Richmond Street
