There are many hourly and daily parking options in downtown Kitchener and around Grand River Hospital. You can pay for hourly or daily parking from your phone or a kiosk.

On this page:

  1. Parking lots
  2. Parking garages
  3. Pay for parking from your phone

Parking lots

Follow these steps:

  1. drive into the parking lot and park your vehicle
  2. go to one of the payment kiosks and pay for your parking
  3. when you’re ready to leave, exit the lot

You can also download the Passport Parking or PassagePass app and pay from your phone.

Parking garages

If a parking garage has licence plate recognition cameras around the entrance gate, follow these steps:

  1. drive up to the kiosk before the entrance gate
  2. if you’ve registered your vehicle on the PassagePass app, the system will detect your licence plate and open automatically
  3. if your vehicle isn’t registered with PassagePass:
    1. press the “ticket” button to print a ticket
    2. take the ticket
  4. wait for the gate to open and then drive through and park
  5. when you’re ready to leave, and you’re registered with PassagePass:
    1. drive up to the exit gate and wait for it to open
  6. when you’re ready to leave, and you’re not registered with PassagePass:
    1. go to one of the payment kiosks and either scan your entry ticket or enter your licence plate number and pay your fare at the kiosk, or
    2. drive up to the exit gate, wait for the system to recognize your licence plate and pay your fare at the exit kiosk

Licence plate issues

In some situations, the system may not be able to read your licence plate (example: it’s faded or hidden by snow). If this happens, please call the "Call When Here" phone number posted at the entry or exit gate (we recommend adding this number as a contact for easy access).

If you included your cell phone number in your permit request and activated the Call When Here function, the system will recognize your phone number on record. If you haven’t provided your phone number or activated the Call When Here function, please use the intercom to speak with staff, who can raise the gate to let you in or out.

How to avoid issues or delays

Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, your license plate must be unobstructed, clean and easy to read. As a security system, it is critical that the parking system accurately records all vehicles entering and exiting the building. Non-compliant plates may also lead to access issues.

Things that can cause an issue:

  • a licence plate frame obstructing the plate
  • tinted plates
  • damaged, dirty or peeling plates
  • approaching too quickly: please stop at the entry or exit station if your plate is not recognized
  • following the vehicle ahead too closely: please give the vehicle in front of your vehicle ample space when approaching the entry or exit gates

If one of the doors or gates does not open, please use one of the following options: 

  • call when here: using your registered cell phone, call the phone number that is displayed on the gate, then type in the gate number (shown on the gate) when prompted
  • entry or exit kiosk: press the intercom for assistance or take an entry ticket

After you park, please send us an email to report any problems so that we can investigate the cause of the incident.

Pay for parking from your phone

We have two apps you can use to pay for hourly or daily parking from your phone, depending on your location:

If you’re not sure which app to use, look for the signs and decals with the relevant app name when you park.

On both apps, you can add time to your parking from your phone instead of walking back to your car.

Download the Passport Parking app

Using the Passport Parking app, you can pay for hourly parking in on-street spots or parking lots downtown and around Grand River Hospital from your phone.

Download the app:

Get support from Passport Parking.

Download the PassagePass app

Use the PassagePass app to pay for hourly parking at parking lots and garages with licence plate recognition.

Licence plate recognition is available at the Civic Centre parking garage. It will be available at more lots and garages as we phase out our existing monthly parking system.

Download the app:

If you have any questions, please send us an email or call 519-741-2200, ext. 7151.