City of Vancouver proposes charging up to $1K for parking permits for some new vehicles

The City of Vancouver is seeking public input on a proposed annual fee for high polluting vehicles and a city-wide overnight residential parking permit that would be about $45 a year.

The proposed Climate Emergency Parking Program aims to encourage people to buy cleaner vehicles, reduce pollution and fund climate emergency actions.

Under the plan, owners of higher-polluting vehicles, such as gas-powered luxury sports cars, large SUVs or full-size pickup trucks with the model year of 2023 or newer would have to pay an annual pollution charge of $1,000 for a residential parking permit.

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Moderately-polluting vehicles, such as most gas-powered sports sedans or more efficient small SUVS with the model year of 2023 or newer would have to pay $500.

Vehicles with a model year 2022 or older would be exempt from the fee as would specialized vehicles for wheelchairs. Low-polluting vehicles, such as electric cars, hybrids, and most economy vehicles, would also not have to pay the fee.

A new overnight residential parking permit, costing about $45 a year, would apply to residential streets in the city that don’t already require permits. The new permit area would allow the pollution charge to be implemented across the entire city, not just in existing permit zones.

In a statement, Paul Storer, director of transportation with the City of Vancouver, said cities such as Sydney, Australia and Montreal have implemented similar pollution charges for residential parking. He noted the program would not only help the city meet its climate goals, but it could also “better manage our curb space to serve residential areas.”

The city launched a survey on Monday that seeks feedback on the proposed initiatives. The survey will be open until July 5.

Among the things the city is seeking input for is which vehicles should be exempt beyond older ones and those modified for wheelchair users.

The proposed changes are part of the city’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, which council passed last November. The plan aims to put Vancouver on track to reduce our carbon pollution by half by 2030.

The entire strategy is not slated to take effect until at least 2025 and meetings will be held over the next several months to gather public reaction.

— With files from The Canadian Press