A view of the parking lot at the Saint Patrick Basilica Catholic Church on Kent Street in Ottawa on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

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For public servants in need of a downtown parking spot, the City of Ottawa hopes a new plan will answer their prayers.

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On Aug. 19, the city’s planning committee approved a temporary bylaw change allowing places of worship located downtown or near rapid-transit stations to reserve parking spaces for commuters.

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The plan, which is one element of a broader strategy to handle an expected increase in traffic this fall, will also allow six city-owned recreation centres to offer or lease parking spots to the public.

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Ottawa’s transit system is typically busiest in the fall, with many workers returning from vacation and students heading back to school. But with the federal government’s latest return-to-office policy added to the mix, OC Transpo is preparing to absorb about 65,000 additional trips each week come September.

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Among other measures, city staff have tweaked bus schedules, added express routes and promised to run the O-Train earlier and more often.

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Transit boss Rick Leary has said he’s “very comfortable” with the plan, though not every city councillor shares his confidence. Orléans South-Navan Coun. Catherine Kitts, for example, has predicted traffic “hell.”

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Ottawa is home to about 150,000 federal public servants, and more than 40 per cent of workspaces are clustered downtown.

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A City of Ottawa map showing the boundaries of downtown Ottawa, labeled ‘A.’ Photo by City of Ottawa

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Under normal zoning rules, parking lots are treated as an “accessory use” and cannot be operated commercially or leased to off-site users. City staff are hoping an exemption to the bylaw for places of worship in the core can unlock some parking spaces within walking distance of downtown offices for use by commuters.

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Parking lots at rec centres, churches and other places of worship in the core “may be underutilized during weekday business hours,” the report said.

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Outside downtown, staff hope parking lots at places of worship within 600 metres of select transit stations can function like park-and-rides.

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Participation by places of worship is voluntary, and the city stresses that not every eligible property will participate.

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At many downtown churches, parking is in short supply.

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City of Ottawa map showing bubbles around select transit stations chosen for a temporary parking plan. Photo by City of Ottawa

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The rec centres included in the plan are the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex, Brewer Park Complex, Jim Durrell Recreation Complex, Trillium Recreation Complex, Pinecrest Recreational Complex and Sandy Hill Arena.

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The temporary exemption, if passed by council, will expire on March 31, 2027.

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The report doesn’t say how many parking spots the zoning changes are expected to free up for commuters, and a city spokesperson told the Ottawa Citizen it was still too soon to provide an estimate.

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At rec centres, the city will “assess” how many spaces can be leased to commuters while ensuring enough spots remain for people using the facility.

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The report goes to full council at its meeting on Aug. 26.

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