Year-round pay parking is coming to all of Granville Island.
Starting in the summer of 2019, visitors to the popular destination will have to pay to park in all public parking stalls from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
There will still be free parking before 11 a.m. and then after 6 p.m.
During the winter season from Oct. 1 to April 30, visitors will pay $2 an hour. During the summer season from May 1 to Sept. 30, visitors will pay $3 an hour between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
There will also be a minute rate for someone making a quick trip.
WATCH: Granville Island’s landlord is considering a new plan that would eliminate free parking in the area. Grace Ke reports.
Currently, 60 per cent of stalls are free of charge and 40 per cent cost $3.50 an hour between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The free parking is a mix of one hour free and three hours free.
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In the new system, every parking stall will be the same.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which manages Granville Island, says the goal is to alleviate the congestion.
“With the new system all of the parking spots will be uniform on Granville Island so that will eliminate the congestion and the searching for parking especially during peak times,” spokesperson Lisa Ono told CKNW.
She added parking on the island has always been an issue since the public market opened in 1979.
There are more than 1,200 parking stalls on Granville Island.
In the report, CMHC says the new parking system will increase availability so that it is easier for drivers to find a stall as the current model of free and pay parking increases congestion because some drivers are willing to circle the island, searching for a free parking stall.
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