Background on the City of Markham’s Parking Controls and Bylaws
The City’s Parking Control Program is designed and enforced to provide safe and efficient
movement of traffic and pedestrians, to ensure easy access and fast response for emergency
vehicles, and to provide for unobstructed access for street maintenance services on all city
streets.
Most parking regulations originate from the Highway Traffic Act and enacted by the City through
the Parking Control By-law.
As Markham’s first new urbanism community and with the presence of Markham Stouffville
Hospital, special parking regulations are found within Cornell to address the unique
characteristics of the area. These regulations where developed in conjunction with area residents
to meet the needs of the Cornell community..
Overnight Parking Prohibition
Overnight parking is prohibited across the City between the hours of 2:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. An
overnight parking prohibition is common to municipalities in Ontario for traffic management,
public safety and urban design purposes. During the 2006 Extended Driveway By-law review,
Markham residents overwhelmingly asked that the prohibition be maintained.
Overnight Monthly Parking Permit
To address the unique parking challenges of a Cornell, and in response to resident requests, the
City implemented an Overnight Monthly Parking Permit to allow for street parking between
the hours of 2:30 and 6:00 am in Cornell . Permits are issued on a monthly basis for a fee of
$30.00. Permits can be purchased one month in advance for a period of up to 12 months. Proof
of residency and vehicle ownership will be required at the time of purchase. A maximum of four
(4) permits can be issued to a municipal address at one given time. The permit must bear the
plate number of the vehicle to which the permit is issued. Vehicles must display a permit bearing
the plate number of the same vehicle to which the permit was issued while parked on the street
between 2:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Vehicles must be parked only in the area where permit parking is
allowed and to find out if your street qualifies contact the City at 905.477.7000.
Monthly parking permits can be obtained at the Contact Centre, City of Markham Civic Centre,
101 Town Centre Blvd., Markham, Ontario L3P 9W3 Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mon-Fri and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. or online at www.markham.ca (residents-roads
and parking-on street parking-monthly overnight parking permit-online permit application)
Overnight Parking Exemptions
Overnight Parking exemptions allow residents to temporarily park on the street overnight, under
certain circumstances. Exemptions may be granted in the event of out of town visitors, special
events, repairs and vehicle breakdown to name a few. Exemptions of this nature can be obtained
by calling 905-477-7000 ext 2050 or online www.markham.ca (residents-roads and parking-on
City of Markham Special Parking Bulletin - March 2014
street parking-overnight street parking request). Applicants will be required to provide their your
name, address, vehicle plate number and length of time for the exemption.. There is a limit of 5
exemptions, per plate, per address, per year. To obtain an overnight or daytime parking
exemption please call 905-477-7000 ext. 2050. For your convenience, you can call after hours
and leave a message. All overnight exemptions must be received before 1 a.m. Please note:
Exemptions are restricted during the winter months and become void if snow removal and or
winter operations become necessary.
Special Events (i.e. Parties)-On Street Temporary Exemptions -5 Vehicles or more
Overnight Parking Exemption requests for special events (i.e. parties) for 5 vehicles
or more should be requested by emailing parkingadmin@markham.ca at least 3 days in advance
of the event. Please provide your name, address, approx number of vehicles attending, date and
time period of event.
Daytime Parking Permits
In order to restrict non-resident parking on streets around the Markham Stouffville Hospital, the
City implemented a Daytime Parking Permit Program in response to resident rquests. These
permits must e displayed in the vehicle for Parking Officers to validate their non-resident
parking permit between the hours of 8 a.m.to 8 p.m. These permits are for personal vehicles
only. To accommodate visitors, each homeowner is required to register the visitor’s motor
vehicle license plate number with the City’s Parking Control Department, and request a
temporary parking exemption. This will ensure that their vehicles will not be ticketed. Daytime
parking permits are restricted to specific streets and must be picked up directly at the Contact
Centre.
Common Permit Requirements
The follow are the common requirements for all permits:
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Permits are issued to operating and licensed vehicles only;
Permits are not issued to vehicles with outstanding fines/violations;
Permits cannot be issued for tow trucks, tractor-trailers, cube vans, dump trucks, boats,
snowmobiles, mobile homes, etc.;
 Permits are not valid during periods of snow removal; and,
 Vehicles cannot be parked in the same location for forty-eight (48) continuous hours;
Bur Oak Commercial Area Time Parking Restrictions
Commercial areas in the Cornell Community may restrict the length of time you can park on
street to provide regular turn-over of parking spaces for businesses. Business owners may have a
permit for customers parking for extended periods.
Laneway Parking
The City, like all municipalities with laneways, restricts parking in laneways due to their narrow
width and the difficulties in traffic movement and turns.
City of Markham Special Parking Bulletin - March 2014
Winter Parking Program
The Markham Winter Parking Program implements a further parking restriction between
November 15th and April 15th, when snow removal operations are in place. Snow accumulation
and storage during the winter will frequently a narrow street passage ways. . When vehiclespark
on both sides of a street it restricts or may even prevent emergency vehicles from passing
quickly and safely through the two vehicles parked on either side of the street. . To prevent this
situation the City requires all vehicles to park only on the odd numbered side of the street and
only where parking is normally allowed on both sides of the street. Vehicles cannot be parked
on either side during snow removal. Refer to Markham’s snow maintenance service standards at
www.markham.ca (winter maintenance section) for more information about when and how snow
removal occurs after a snowfall.
Snow Removal
During snow removal service all vehicles must be removed from streets and all permits are
invalid during thistime.Under normal circumstances snow removal will occur for a minimum
period of 14 hours after snow accumulation of 7.5 cm or more. Snow removal operations are a
significant expense for the City and the need to re-plow a street due to restrictions such as parked
vehicles adds to that expense.
Lay-Bys
Lay-bys (parking inlets to the side of the road) are considered to be part of the roadway. While
the lay-bys are not plowed during initial winter maintenance operations, the City does plow the
lay-bys once arterial roads are completed.
Laneway Lighting
Laneways are a unique feature in new urbanism communities. One of the unique qualities is that
there is no space for street lights. On these laneways, the lighting is provided by lights on the
adjoining garages. Under the Subdivision Agreement, residents are required to maintain their
garage lights and to have the lights on each night.
For additional information and clarification please feel free to visit us online at
www.markham.ca . Additionally, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact the City
of Markham, Parking Control at 905-477-7000 ext. 2050.
City of Markham Special Parking Bulletin - March 2014