The City of Melbourne is looking at a parking overhaul. 

Melbourne's downtown area may undergo significant changes in its car parking system to alleviate traffic congestion, according to a recent report.

After finding that over 80 per cent of drivers had difficulty finding on-street parking during their last visit, the City of Melbourne plans to implement measures to simplify and make parking in the central business district (CBD) fairer. 

Proposed changes in the draft Park and Kerbside Management Plan include simplified signage, more consistent layouts and durations for parking spaces, and modifications to loading zones.

Although the maximum $7 hourly parking rate in the CBD will not be increased, the council is considering reducing the fee during lower peak times to encourage more people to visit the city when more car parks are available.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp hopes that the proposed changes will reduce “parking anxiety” and congestion since the survey found that drivers looking for parking accounted for approximately 30 per cent of traffic in the CBD. Furthermore, changes to loading zones and the allocation of some on-street parking for wider footpaths, tram spots, and open spaces have also been suggested.

Cr Capp acknowledged that parking signs are unclear, and she expects that clearer signage will result in a 10 per cent decrease in fines. 

She explained that the council only manages 10,000 paid on-street parking spaces across the municipality, and only 1,800 of these are in the CBD, which is less than 5 per cent of the total parking capacity. The majority of the available spaces are located off-street, accounting for 90 per cent of the total supply.

According to the council, the city's parking habits have changed, with weekends becoming busier than weekdays in the CBD, which has led to a higher demand for parking on Saturdays and Sundays.

Cr Capp emphasised that the proposed changes aim to “balance all of those needs in a very limited space”.

The council will consider the proposal at a meeting on March 21, and Cr Capp encourages motorists, traders, delivery truck drivers, and others to provide feedback on the plan.