ATHABASCA - The Town of Athabasca is making some changes to its parking limitations in the downtown core, but local businesses say they aren’t likely to be impacted.
Community Peace Officer Kevin Rowan and public works superintendent Graham Douglas re-assessed the town’s parking signs in the downtown core after councillors pointed out some inconsistencies in signage, and they decided some changes needed to be made.
The two-hour parking limitation has been removed from 51 Street, as well as the west side of 50 Street (out front of the Value Drug Mart). The south portion of 49 Street — one block south of Hwy 55 — will also have the parking restriction removed.
“I can’t say it will impact us much,” said Tracy Nicholson, who owns the Great Canadian Dollar Store on 50 Street. “It’s not something we get many complaints about.”
CAO Rachel Ramey said the decision to remove the limitations was due to a combination of business — 51 Street isn’t busy enough to require the signs — and infrastructure.
“With there being no streetlights on the west side of 50th, it’s hard for us to post enough signs to make it visible and enforceable,” said Ramey.
Additional signs will be added to the east side of 50 Street to help prevent confusion.
During his May 21 presentation to town councillors, Rowan said he had been around chalking tires sporadically in the previous month, but enforcement was otherwise complaint driven. He reported four traffic/parking related incidents, which accounted for 17 per cent of his total files, with multiple coming from one incident.
Ramey confirmed the changes should all be in place by June 14.
