A Penticton, B.C. business owner is pleading with the city to reevaluate downtown paid street parking, nearly two years after the program was introduced.
Ryan Oickle co-owns Gratify Foods on Main Street, and posted his frustrations to social media, gaining an overwhelming amount of support.
“My post was made not to pick fights with the city at all, just to ask them to reevaluate decisions,” said Oickle
“We’re hoping the city can kind of take all the feedback from over the time that we’ve had pay parking and reevaluate what’s working, what isn’t working. Maybe that seasonal aspect is more fitting for a small city like this, maybe a two-hour parking limit the way they had it before where they can still enforce it.”
New city councilor Ryan Graham responded to the growing frustration by saying he plans to introduce a motion to pause paid street parking during Tuesday’s council meeting.
According to the council agenda, Graham is proposing that the paid parking program be suspended until March 31 of next year to allow time to discuss if this program should move forward.
He is also proposing that the previous two-hour parking limit be reinstated.
“I think what they’re proposing is actually a good middle ground where they do pause the paid parking throughout the slower, less touristy season, where people are, where businesses are depending more on local traffic,” said Oickle.
“I was excited to hear that council was listening to it, and hopefully they come up with the best solution for everybody involved.”
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