City asks public to consider parking options outside Marina Park when visiting waterfront

THUNDER BAY – After a busy Blues Festival-filled weekend, the city is asking residents to consider parking in the downtown north core or using public transportation when visiting the waterfront.

Citing a limited amount of parking at Prince Arthur’s Landing and reminding the driving public there is a strict two-hour parking limit within the park, Marina Park operations co-ordinator Kathie Ball on Wednesday said there are plenty of available options.

“Prince Arthur’s Landing is an important gathering place for the community which will remain a dynamic tourist destination for years to come,” Ball said in a release issued on Wednesday.

“With tens of thousands of residents and visitors coming to the area for activities and events, we want to remind everyone to try to park outside of Marina Park and that walking, biking, carpooling and taking public transit is always encouraged.”

This past weekend Thunder Bay Blues Festival brought nearly 20,000 people to the park. Many used the parking lot adjacent to the splash pad and their vehicles remained there for several hours beyond the limit.

Only drivers with boating parking passes are permitted to use the park lots for more than the allotted two hours.

The release suggests a number of options. In the daytime they include Thunder Bay Transit, biking or other modes of active transportation and walking from the downtown area.

On evenings and weekends drivers can also use the Pagoda parking lot or any number of lots in the downtown area as well as on-street parking in the area.