Mississaga street East and only one side street, West street, had rates more than double to $3 an hour in 2023.  Other side streets and the rest of the main street, Mississaga st. west had the meters increase by a lesser amount.  This is too big of an increase for a downtown struggling with lots of other issues and trying its best to attract customers since the pandemic.  These high rate hikes are literally "driving" people to continue to shop online, at big box stores and malls. 

• Somehow there was a rationale to raise the rates at meters because we want people to hurry on through the downtown; that was the origin of the parking meter back in the day when downtown was the only place to shop.  Of course times have changed, and several surrounding cities have either free parking in city lots and/or low rates at meters.  We want to encourage browsing, encourage business and reduce the "stress of the meter" for our shoppers!
• Some areas at $3 an hour are full of empty stores and now empty parking spaces and now have drivers waiting in their cars for partners to shop; better to get some revenue at a lower rate than to get nothing at all.  
• Some side streets at $1.75 an hour have people parking in front of their stores and shoppers going to the main street to shop; taking up spaces for their customers.  Some of us have heard customers say that if they don't see a space nearby they will drive on...and come another day (if at all!)
• The city leases a parking lot near the waterfront and charges $3 an hour; steps away there is ample free parking by the lake.  It also cost a lot of money to prepare the lot; grading, gravel, signage, lighting...I know it cost a lot because they won't tell me the cost.  The lot is always empty.  
• City staff don't pay for parking at their workplace downtown; so this should have been considered first when legislative services wanted to increase parking revenue.  Yearly rates at surrounding lots cost downtown residents, business owners and employees, at the very least, $720 annually.  City hall itself is surrounded by leased or city owned parking lots charging for parking and you can park for free at city hall for 30 minutes while "doing business" with the city.  
• Most merchants were not consulted about these hikes and therefore had no input and could not offer alternatives when the city wanted to increase parking revenue.  We were left out of the process even though it affects us the most.  Small businesses combined are the primary force that drives the economy.

If people don't "buy" local, then it's "bye bye" local!