Epark Machine (Photo Submitted by The City of Edmonton)
Big changes are coming to parking in Edmonton as the city moves to a mobile-only payment system for EPark. With physical pay stations being phased out starting April 14, drivers will now have to rely on the ‘Hotspot’ App to pay for parking.
Jenny Albers, General Supervisor of Parking and Permitting at Edmonton’s Traffic Operations, spoke with 89.3 The Raven about the decision to phase out parking machines. She explained that upgrading the machines to accommodate chip-and-pin payment methods would incur capital costs of $2.8 million. Removing the machines, she noted, would help minimize the tax increase for 2025.
Albers mentioned that parking and bylaw enforcement will be relaxed during the removal process, giving Edmonton residents time to transition to the new parking payment system in the city.
Albers highlighted a new parking app for the city called ‘Hotspot,’ which allows residents to pay for parking by scanning a QR code or by downloading the app. Users can also create an account and call the provided number to purchase parking over the phone if data or Wi-Fi access isn’t available.
The removal process will begin on April 14, with parking machines across the city being phased out until July 31. Machines in areas with the lowest demand, such as Northedge, Alberta Ave, Kingsway, 124th Street, and Old Strathcona, will be removed first by May 31. The removal in downtown areas will start on May 15, with the ‘Hotspot’ app available for use.
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