While construction in the city of Hamilton is booming, concern has arisen among some city workers over the lack of parking. Many new buildings to be erected around town will be multi-storied but provisions for on-site parking have not been included.

Roger Sherratt, Secretary of the Corporation of Hamilton, revealed that the corporation actually have stipulated that they do not want buildings erected in the city centre, to have self contained parking. Mr. Sherratt explained that the practice would only add to the current traffic congestion in the streets of Hamilton.

As most buildings in the city are about 50-feet wide, Mr. Sherratt pointed out that if each had parking, the result would be that pedestrians and vehicular traffic alike, would be encountering a driveway every 50 feet.

Citing the Washington Mall Building as the development the corporation learned from in respect to this problem, Mr. Sherratt revealed that it was decided to put parking at outlying areas of the city, hence the parking lots at Dundonald Street and Bull's Head.

"There are about 150 spots left at the Bull's Head car park'' according to Mr. Sherratt, "this will help with any additional vehicles being brought into the city as more multi-storey buildings go up.'' Other answers the corporation have to address the problem include a scheme to encourage car pooling, the use of cycles over cars, and the introduction of a `parking levy' or `commuted payments'.

A `parking levy' or `commuted payments' plan would see developers of buildings in the city centre, pay an agreed sum of money to be used to fund required parking.

The issue was debated in the early 1980s when it was proposed that the parking levy should be determined as a function of the gross floor area of the development and that the levy would be charged per parking space.