The education period for parking regulations appears to have ended in Cobourg and now it’s time for enforcement.
As of June 21, 2022, shortly after 5 p.m. the new regulations regarding waterfront parking are now being enforced.
The cost $5 per hour with paid parking within the Cobourg Waterfront will now be enforced from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving with the exception of the East Beach Parking Area which is enforced from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The fine for having a expired ticket, or no ticket is $160.00.
The charges followed recommendations made from the 2014 Parking Study and the 2021 Beach Use survey, which brought the updates to the Downtown and Waterfront Parking structure and fee schedule.
Director of Legislative Services/Municipal Clerk Brent Larmer said there have been 360 tickets given out with no fine for two reasons.
The town wanted to educate the users to the beach area on the upcoming changes.
The second reason was the Attorney General has to approve the changes and although the paper work was sent on May 16 with the town waiting for approval, they were informed there was a change in the process and instead of a written form, the Attorney General had switched to electronic submissions.
The town re-sent the documents on June 6 and had been awaiting approval.
On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, the town received notice from the Attorney General their submission was approved and around 5 p.m. stated issuing tickets around the waterfront area.
Numerous machines were to be installed in the downtown and waterfront areas, but because there is a Canada wide shortage of parts, council decided to install the pay and display meters along the waterfront area and give a three hour grace period for downtown.
Once the bylaw enforcement officers started issuing the tickets along the esplanade parking and at the bottom of Division Street word quickly spread amongst the people in the area.
Numerous people who received tickets were shocked at the fine.
A woman from Grafton brought her three children down to play in the park and when she returned to her vehicle found the ticket under her windshield wiper.
“I was very surprised. $160.00 a ticket! It’s incredible. It’s unheard of.”
The woman said she wants to fight the ticket, but being a single mother of three, it may be hard to take the time off work.
Calling the ticket, “extraordinary.”
“The payment is crazy. It’s half a weeks pay for a regular person.”
A Peterborough man said he came to visit and enjoy the beach for three hours.
“I figures it’s 6-7 p.m. at night and you can do that for just about free.”
But when he went back to his vehicle he received a $160.00 ticket.
The time on the ticket indicated it was given just 15-minutes prior to him getting back to his car.
“I think that’s a little ridiculous for 15-minutes. Definitely going to be fighting that one.”
The man said he’s received parking tickets for $10 or $20 before, “but I don’t know how they expect people to pay something like that.”
For people looking for updates on parking click below for previous story on changes
Cobourg Implementing Updates to Downtown and Waterfront Parking
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
