Parking for People with a Disability

Parking spaces marked with the international symbol for accessibility are reserved exclusively for vehicles that display a valid SaskAbilities parking placard issued by SaskAbilities.  These spaces are found throughout Saskatoon in both private and public off-street lots.  Watch for signs!

A resident of Saskatoon with a mobility impairment can also request a Residential Disabled Parking Zone in front of their home for easier access to their vehicle or to accommodate Access Transit vehicles.  To apply, fill out the Residential Disabled Parking Zone Online Application Form (below) or contact Right-or-Way Permit Applications at 306-975-2454.

Vehicles that display a valid SaskAbilities parking placard are permitted to park in a loading zone for up to the maximum time limit for the area, instead of for the loading zone.  For example, a vehicle with a placard may park in a 15 minute loading zone for up to three hours in the downtown area. Generally there are two loading zones per block face along Avenues and one per block face along Streets.

A person with a disability who has a valid SaskAbilities parking placard is eligible to apply for a City of Saskatoon Accessible Parking Permit which allows parking at all on-street public parking areas beyond the posted time limit, including Pay Parking areas and Residential Parking Program (RPP) permit zones. The City of Saskatoon Accessible Parking Permit sticker must be attached to a current SaskAbilities parking placard, and the placard must be hung from the inside rear-view mirror and be visible from outside the vehicle. The City of Saskatoon Accessible Parking Permit expires every year at the end of October and can be purchased for $20 for the year, or $10 on a pro-rated basis. Permit holders are responsible to renew each year. Email us or visit City Hall for more information on how to apply.

The City of Saskatoon Accessible Parking Permit Program is under review. Objectives of the City of Saskatoon Accessible Parking Permit Program are to provide users with convenience of parking in pay parking zones without having to pay at a pay station. The program strives to provide seamless on-street parking opportunities for motorists with accessibility needs.

A review of the Accessible Parking Permit Program was undertaken to improve the program by aligning needs of users, best practices elsewhere, and to mitigate program risk. Key themes were derived from consultation with users and stakeholder organizations. Based on the consultations, administration has recommended several ways in which accessible parking can be enhanced:

1. Enhanced communication of the program - administration can improve program awareness and program provisions. This will be done through partnerships with SaskAbilities, improving communication with users via email and website, and  improving distribution of informational takeaway sheets at the point of purchase.
2. Fee and time limit change - align the fee and time restrictions of the permit to help ensure that an adequate supply of on-street parking exists through parking turnover
   1. Increase permit fee to $100 per year or $50 on a six-month prorated basis
      1. Rationale - The permit fee has not changed since 1981 and has not aligned with on-street pay parking rates for some time. In 1981, the pay parking rate was $0.50 per hour. Administration costs for the program have also increase since that time.
   2. Reduce time restrictions from unlimited (72 hours) to time on the street - users will need to move their vehicles as per the posted time restrictions (ex. 90 mins to 2 hours in Riversdale BID, 3 hours in most other pay parking zones).
      1. Rationale - The intent of the pay parking zones is to promote parking turnover to ensure adequate parking options exist for all those who require it. Program overuse can be mitigated through a change in accessible parking permit time restriction as it encourages parking turnover.
3. Automation - create a more convenient process for purchasing the accessible permit that does not necessarily involve coming into City Hall. This can be accomplished through improved technology through the Parking Technology project occurring in 2023-2024.

Administration will report the recommendations to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation in Q4 2023. Questions or comments on the proposed recommendations can be emailed to parking.permits@saskatoon.ca.