Many municipalities, including Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, and London provide for regulations in their municipal by-laws supporting the trend away from the reliance on the car as the principal mode of transportation and provide for alternative measures.

Through parking relief measures, municipalities have come to recognize the limitations and constraints associated with ‘traditional’ car p arking requirements and the inordinate pressure these ‘traditional’ requirements place on the use of valuable lands and municipal resources. Other local municipalities, such as the Town of Essex, are now providing regulations for alternatives such as bike spaces as compensation measures to car parking with an effort to support alternative modes of transportation to the car. The land owner will be providing 17 bike parking spaces for the facility to accommodate the proposed tenants and visitors.

“For half a century, planning rules have required on-site parking for most kinds of development. These rules, however, can hamper the market's ability to meet the need for smaller scale multi unit housing and smaller scale services in urban locations where alternative travel modes are readily available; that support residents and customers who choose not to drive; and for businesses that seek to serve foot traffic. Reducing or eliminating parking requirements will enable development in such areas respond to actual ne ed and offer greater choice to the city's residents.” (Ottawa parking review 2015-2017 http://documents.ottawa.ca/sites/documents.ottawa.ca/files/documen ts/min_par king_en.pdf );