Peterborough’s Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) says it, “wholeheartedly disagrees,” with a proposal to increase parking fees in the city’s centre by 25 per cent.
DBIA executive director Terry Guiel says the move would punish shoppers who want to spend the money downtown.
Right now, the city charges $1 an hour for parking, up to a $7 maximum.
City councillors, sitting as Committee of the Whole, recently received a report stating that an extra 450 to 500 parking spaces were needed to service the downtown core.
A report presented to the committee Monday states that money raised by increasing parking fees would raise the funds needed to pay for more parking infrastructure.
Guiel acknowledged that there are parking issues downtown.
“We want a positive experience with shoppers when they come downtown, we want them to be able to find spots,” he said. “But we don’t want them to be penalized with such high costs, not with this economy, not with the challenges that are facing Peterborough right now.”
Donna Rork, owner of Cottage Toys on Charlotte St., said parking is a frequent complaint from her customers but raising fees isn’t the answer, she said.
“It could have an effect on the business, for sure,” she said. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword. When you raise the cost, you have fewer people parking, so you have more available spots. People complain about paying for parking, people complain that there’s not enough parking downtown.”
The proposal still has to be approved by city council.