Finding parking spots in downtown Toronto has always been a chore, and as of early 2026, it has become an even more painful experience—financially. The Toronto Parking Authority, in a bold and strategic move to encourage people to leave their cars at home and take public transit instead, has implemented a wide-scale increase in the Green P on-street parking fees. The move, which was swiftly approved as part of the city’s massive transportation budget, will undoubtedly have people from the suburbs taking heed of the message: leave the cars at home and take the TTC instead.
The areas where the increase will be the steepest include Toronto’s central business district and major commercial and entertainment areas. Within the central business district, which includes areas from Spadina Avenue to Jarvis Street, the on-street parking fees have been hiked to $6.50 per hour. Just a few years ago, these parking spots were going for around $4 to $5 per hour. For a suburban worker parking on the street for an eight-hour day, this translates to a cost of over $50 per day, making it one of the most expensive parking spots in all of North America.
But the impact of this move will not be limited to the financial district. The Toronto Parking Authority has made changes to the pricing for all of its 19,000 coveted on-street parking spots. The areas on Queen West, The Danforth, and Liberty Village have all been hiked by at least $1 per hour to the mandatory rate of $1.50 per hour. The city has also extended the hours for parking enforcement for areas that were previously more relaxed.
City hall maintains these high parking prices are non-negotiable, a fundamental mechanism in directing the flow of people in the city. The city is in the midst of a very infamous congestion crunch, whereby the roads in the downtown area are often gridlocked, and even large delivery trucks can spend hours stuck in traffic. The idea is to make parking so expensive in order to force people away from their personal vehicles and into the recently subsidized TTC, GO Transit, or bike networks, in order to alleviate some of the strain put upon our old and overcrowded roads.
But the revenue from these high prices at the Green P parking meters is not just being spent willy-nilly. The city council has put down rules whereby a significant portion of the TPA’s 2026 dividend is to be spent on public transit and the ambitious plan to extend bike lanes in the downtown area.
Needless to say, these parking prices have sparked a loud outcry from suburban residents and business owners in the downtown area. The idea is that this is, in fact, a luxury and will force people away from small, independent businesses and into much more affordable free parking in suburban shopping malls. But the reality is, in 2026, cheap parking at the curb in the largest metropolis in Canada is a thing of the past.