Downtown Winnipeg parking: Some provincial employees pay one-third less than everyone else

WINNIPEG — If you are a provincial employee working in downtown Winnipeg, you could be paying more than $100 a month less than the going rate for your parking spot.

There are more than 1,500 parking spots around downtown where government employees receive a discount. This includes, 687 passes available in downtown provincially owned lots (including the legislature), and 820 passes available in downtown leased lots, according to the province.

Current monthly parking rates for provincial employees:

• $56.60 for covered spots
• $46 for serviced spots (electricity)
• $35.40 for unserviced spots (no electricity)

The five closest Imperial Parking (Impark) lots near the Manitoba legislative building average $175 a month.

“Manitoba’s provincial parking program was established in 1989 to maintain a controlled, cost-recoverable, paid parking program for all property owned or leased by the province,” the province said in an email.

Comparing discounted rates

Global News compared discounted rates with regular rates for two lots in downtown Winnipeg.

Edmonton Street

Provincial employee discount: $46 per month for a serviced lot (Edmonton Street annex).
Regular Impark price: $200 per month for a serviced lot (190 Edmonton St).

York Street

Provincial employee discount: $46 per month for a serviced lot (401 York St.).
Regular Impark price: $170 per month for a serviced lot (310 York St.).

Full list of discounted parking spots and lots that the province owns:

• Memorial Boulevard (metres)
• Provincial Remand Centre
• Manitoba legislative building
• Government house
• Kennedy Street, east of the Legislative building
• Edmonton Street (annex)
• St. Stephens lot
• Assiniboine Avenue
• Norquay Building (adjacent)
• North of Norquay Building
• 270 Osborne St.
• 210 Osborne St.
• Government greenhouse
• Law Courts (metres)
• Manitoba Central Power House
• New law courts (underground)
• Robert Flecther Building
• 800 Portage Ave.
• Provincial judges court

Employees must apply and meet one of the categories in order to be eligible for a stall in a leased or owned lot, the province said.

Criteria for downtown parking:

• Physically disabled employees.
• Ministers and other MLAs.
• Unassigned or pool government vehicles.
• Deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers or equivalent in departments and agencies.
• Government vehicles assigned to individuals.
• Individuals using personally-owned vehicles for government business on a daily basis.
• Program needs; including visitor spots, handicap visitor spots, spots in transition and temporary.

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Criteria for Legislative building parking:

• Physically disabled employees.
• Ministers and other MLAs.
• Unassigned or pool government vehicles.
• Deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers or equivalent in departments and agencies.
• Government vehicles assigned to individuals.
• Individuals using personally-owned vehicles for government business on a daily basis.
• Individuals using personally-owned vehicles for government business on an occasional basis.
• Individuals at work sites where public transportation is not available within one kilometre.
• Individuals using vehicle as a pool with at least two other employees from offices within one kilometre of each other.
• Other available space shall be distributed by lottery to those requesting parking.
• Program needs – including visitor spots, handicap visitor spots, spots in transition, temporary parking for pool vehicles.