People who work, live or visit the West End will find out next week if the City of Vancouver will go forward with a marked increase in street parking permits.
In July 2016, the City launched a public survey on recommended increases to parking permits in the West End to address the difficulty in finding a parking spot in the busy neighbourhood.
According to the City, it takes residents five minutes and over one kilometre of extra driving to find a spot and for visitors, about 10 minutes and three kilometres, respectively.
While the City has several options on the table, including putting in more parking meters and changing parking regulations, the most controversial strategy is to increase the cost of a monthly parking pass for residents.
The City’s original proposal was to move the current parking rate from $80 a year to $50 a month, which would equate to $600 a year or 650 per cent increase. The new proposal dropped the monthly rate from $50 to $30; which would cost a resident $360 a year.
People who already have permits would be grandfathered into the current pricing but that would not apply to anyone buying new permits or new residents in the area. The City said any increase in revenue from the permit sales would be reinvested in the West End to support any community needs.
The City claims the change would make it easier to find parking and reduce congestion in the area. They add that it would cause more people to park in their building lots rather than on the street, freeing up space for “those who need it.”
They also argue that on-street permit parking is currently significantly cheaper than off-street lot parking. Under current rates, residents pay $6 a month for on-street parking and roughly $50 a month for market-based off-street parking.
But some residents in the West End argue the rate hike is unfair because that would make the West End the most expensive neighbourhood to park in and if you’re a resident, the most expensive in Vancouver.
Survey data from last fall found that 63 per cent of residents with a car and a parking permit, comprising 20 per cent of all residents, opposed the new fees. Meanwhile, those with no car or with a car and no permit supported the increases. Visitors also voted in favour of the hike.
All ideas in the City of Vancouver’s proposal will go to council on Feb. 8.
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