Drivers in Halifax are now paying more for on-street parking. Weekday on-street parking rates increased by 25 per cent Wednesday, rounded to the nearest $0.25. Monthly commuter parking permit fees have also increased by $20. The changes were approved by council on June 23. Paid Saturday parking Paid on-street parking on Saturdays will also begin this week in downtown Halifax and downtown Dartmouth. The first hour of parking will be free and each hour after that will be $2. Drivers can pay for parking sessions at pay stations or through the HotSpot app. Halifax council unanimously voted to implement paid on-street parking on Saturdays during budget deliberations in March. “Together, these changes will help manage parking demand, encourage turnover of on-street spaces and improve access to short-term parking in busy commercial areas,” reads a municipal release. Tim Rissesco, CEO of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, doesn’t feel it’s the right time to increase parking costs as many downtown businesses are still struggling. “Our foot traffic is down in 2026 compared to what it was in 2025 and the increase in the paid parking, it’s our fear that it will give people another reason not to come downtown,” Rissesco said. “There’s a lot of barriers that are being thrown in front of people and whether it’s the increase or the resistance to using the app or just the usability of the pay stations.” Neil Cook, owner of the Portland Street Creperie, isn’t a fan of the price hike as he thinks it won’t be good for small businesses. “To me, I think the city’s looking for more ways to gain some money and generate some revenue,” he said. “I think that’s their priority and the priority is not small businesses in downtown especially.” Halifax Coun. Laura White disagrees. “I understand that perspective because it comes at budget time, and it is something that we look at compared to everything else but parking policy is really about availability of spots and transportation policy,” she said. She noted there’s a “sweet spot” in what to charge for parking, one that isn’t too high but is enough to encourage turnover and open spots up for other drivers. “If we set the parking fees correctly there will always be a place to park... if the price is set right, people won’t park too long,” she said. A map of the Saturday paid parking zones is available online. With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sean Mott and Callum Smith For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
