Posted: Jun 09, 2021 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: June 9 HRM wants to entice people back to its downtown areas with parking incentives.(Robert Short/CBC) The Halifax Regional Municipality is coming up with parking incentives to help businesses recover from the pandemic and encourage residents to start visiting downtown areas on both sides of the harbour as the province reopens. The total cost of the programs is $184,000. They include offering free on-street parking between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. AT on Thursdays and Fridays from June 17 to Sept. 11 where parking is permitted. "The next few months are crucial to ensuring both local residents and tourists feel welcomed back to the downtowns," Victoria Horne, the municipality's parking manager said Tuesday in a presentation to regional council.