Downtown Parking

How does street parking work? 

Free two-hour street parking is in effect from 4th St NW to 5th St NE along Saskatchewan Avenue and on designated side streets. Free 2-hour parking is enforced Monday to Friday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Once the free two-hour street parking time limit has expired, vehicles must be moved at least one city block face to avoid being ticketed. A City block face is defined as “the parking area on one side of a street bordered by an intersection at each end”.  Advancing your car in the same block face within a two-hour period will result in a ticket.  Temporarily leaving and then returning to the same city block face within a four-hour period from when you first parked there will result in a ticket. For example, if you park on the street from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, you cannot return to that block face until after 4:00 pm, but you can move your vehicle to a different block face.

Are evenings and weekend still free? 

​Yes, evenings and weekends are free.  Downtown Parking is monitored and enforced Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.

What payment options do I have if I get a ticket? 

Parking tickets can be paid for in person at City Hall, by mail, online with your credit card or by e-Transfer.

How does street parking work for handicapped parking permit holders and vehicles with veteran license plates? 

Parking is free for vehicles displaying a Physically Disabled Person’s Parking Permit while parked in a designated disabled parking space, and vehicles displaying Veteran license plates while parked in time limited parking.

The street in front of my home is in the 2-hour time limited parking zone, but it’s not signed. Will two -hour parking be enforced there? 

Only areas signed with 2-hour parking signs will be enforced.  These areas are included in the bylaw and may be signed & enforced in the future if public parking on residential streets becomes a problem.

What if I’m a contractor working on a business site and need temporary extended street parking? 

Contact the Director of Public Safety at (204) 239-8341 or by email at bbailey@city-plap.com.

Why charge for parking at all? 

The goal of this parking strategy is to ensure that customers and visitors to downtown will have easy access to free parking and parking would not be congested by daily users. Continued enforcement does have costs, as does snow clearing, sweeping, paving and maintenance of the Heritage Square West and East lots.  Regular users of those lots should contribute to those costs.

Is parking still free on evenings and weekends? 

Yes. Time limited parking is enforced Monday – Friday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm and remains free after 6:00 pm and on weekends.

If I plan to park for more than 3 hours and do not have a parking pass, how can I purchase one? 

You can buy a parking pass in advance on the HotSpot Parking website at https://htsp.ca, with your smartphone through the HotSpot Parking App or in person at City Hall.  Daily passes are also available for purchase from approved vendors (Herman Prior Centre and Prairie Fusion). Remember, you can park free for 3 hours before purchasing your pass.

If I do not have a smart phone, how do I buy a parking pass? 

If you do not have a smart phone you can purchase your virtual parking pass online by visiting the HotSpot Parking website at https://htsp.ca or in person at City Hall. Daily passes are also available for purchase from approved vendors (Herman Prior Centre and Prairie Fusion). Remember, you can park free for 3 hours before purchasing your pass.

If daily parkers in Heritage Square have to pay, wont they just park on residential streets? 

Residential streets around the Heritage Square West & East lots have 2-hr limited parking in place. With the new AutoChalk technology we will be able to enforce parking restrictions on these residential streets more effectively.

If I buy a parking pass, does it guarantee me a spot?  

The City has capped the number of daily & monthly spots being sold to ensure the Heritage Square West, Heritage Square East & Howie/Duke lots will have capacity for daily, monthly and 3-hr free parkers.  There are 330 parking spots and monitoring of these spots indicates even during busiest times of day the lots are under 60% capacity.

If my 3-hour free parking limit has expired, is the only option to move? 

Your options are to move your vehicle out of all three of the paid parking lots or purchase a parking pass.

If my 3-hr free parking in Heritage Square West expires, can I move my vehicle to Heritage Square East or the Howie / Duke lot? 

No, once your 3-hr free parking has expired, you need to move your vehicle out of all three time limited parking lots or buy a parking pass.

What are the yellow “restricted” areas on your parking map? 

The yellow “restricted” areas indicate privately owned parking.

Are there assigned parking spots? 

Your monthly pass allows for you to park in either the Heritage Square West, Heritage Square East or Howie/Duke parking lots. There are no assigned spots.

What If I park in the lot, leave, and then return later that evening?  

As long as 5 hours has transpired between the time you initially parked in the lot and when you return later in the day, you will not get a ticket.

What if I occasionally drive a vehicle that has a different license plate than the one I registered?  

With the HotSpot Parking app, you can log into your account and change the licence plate you are using for that day and it will be automatically updated.

How does lot parking work for handicapped parking permit holders and vehicles with veteran license plates?

Parking is free for vehicles displaying a Physically Disabled Person’s Parking Permit while parked in a designated disabled parking space, and vehicles displaying Veteran license plates while parked in time limited parking.

Where can I find the HotSpot Parking app? 

Download the HotSpot app on your smartphone from the App Store or GooglePlay.

When will parking spots be available for purchase? 

City of Portage la Prairie parking permits will be available for purchase 10 days prior to the start date for monthly and annual customers. Monthly and Annual customers can set up their accounts online on the Hot Spot parking app or purchase them on line at www.htsp.ca or come in to City Hall to purchase a parking permit on October 22nd for the November 1st start date for parking.  Accounts can be set up in advance for daily passes, but permits can only be purchased on the day required. Daily permits are also available for purchase from approved vendors (Herman Prior Centre and Prairie Fusion) on the day required.

What are my payments options for parking permits? 

Online or through app also allows customers to use their credit card or VISA debit card to purchase.  Purchase options at City Hall will be cash, cheque, or debit.

What is the HotSpot convenience fee? 

The convenience fee customers pay for using the HotSpot parking app or online purchase choices at https://htsp.ca are $0.25 per purchase for daily permits, $2 per purchase for monthly permits and $7.50 per purchase for annual permits.  Besides the convenience of booking your parking permit on your time through the app or online, the convenience fee allows customers access to additional features such as:

• Auto-renew: Monthly permit holders can choose to have their monthly parking passes automatically renewed each month. This feature is only available to app or online customers.
• License plate changes – Parking permit enforcement is based on your licence plate number. It is important that the plate associated with the permit is accurate. If you rent a car or park a different vehicle, you will need to change the plate on your permit to avoid getting ticketed or towed. This feature is only available to app or online customers and is not available to people who purchase their permits in person at City Hall.

If I cancel my permit part way through the term, can I get a refund? 

Monthly parking permits are not eligible for refunds.  Annual permit holders who cancel their permit part way through the term can apply to the City of Portage la Prairie for a refund, please put this in writing and drop off at city hall or email officeclerk@city-plap.com  . A cancellation fee of $25 will apply and a pro-rated refund will be issued for full months left minus the cancellation fee.

How do I purchase a parking permit? 

If you are purchasing a permit for the first time, first you need a HotSpot account with a vehicle and a payment method. See How do I get Started on https://www.htsp.ca/contact.  Note: You don’t need a HotSpot membership and you can set payments to come directly from your credit card.

Purchasing for a Permit Using the HotSpot Mobile App

1. Open the app.
2. Press the hamburger icon.
3. Press Purchase a Permit.
4. Verify that your city is correct.
5. Press Select a Location, select a parking lot, and press Select a Location.
6. Verify that the plate is correct.
7. Press the permit listed under your plate number.
8. Read the information about the permit and the lot.
9. Optional. Press Auto Renew if you want to Automatically renew each month. If this option is not visible, automatic renewal is not available for this lot.
10. Press Purchase.

Paying for a Permit Using the HotSpot Web Dashboard

1. Open a browser window.
2. Go to htsp.ca and click Log In.
3. Click the Permits tab.
   You might see two permit panels: one for the current month and one for the next month. Ensure that you purchase for the correct month.
4. Select a city.
5. Select a location.
6. Select a lot.
7. Select a permit.
8. Verify that the plate is correct.
9. Optional. Select the Would you like this permit to auto renew checkbox if you want to Automatically renew each month. If this option is not visible, automatic renewal is not available for this lot.
10. Read the information about the permit and the lot.
11. Press Purchase.

• Phase 2 of Downtown Parking Strategy Comes Into Effect November 1 2020
• Implementation of Phase 2 of the Downtown Parking Strategy Postponed to November 1, 2020
• Enforcement of Time Limited Street Parking to begin September 1, 2020

• Downtown Parking Guide
• What is a City Block Face?
• HotSpot Digital Parking Passes – Informational Video