BC Hydro is bringing back the free parking reservation system at Buntzen Lake next month.
The system was introduced last summer in an effort to reduce peak traffic congestion, which reduced traffic to just 10 per cent of what it had been in previous years, according to BC Hydro.
“Buntzen Lake is one of the most popular outdoor areas of the Lower Mainland with more than 200,000 visitors each year, most of those during the summer months,” said Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam.
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“The reservation system proved to be effective last year in eliminating long waits for parking spots. With some new improvements, people will once again be able to use the system to plan their visit to Buntzen Lake.”
BC Hydro said it will improve the system using “important learnings” that were discovered last summer. One example is that the booking system can now be accessed and used through a mobile phone.
Also, no-shows accounted for roughly 33 per cent of total bookings last year, which has BC Hydro mulling possible penalties for no-shows for this iteration of the system.
The online booking system will be live starting May 15. Drivers can visit the online website and make a reservation as of 7 a.m. the day before their visit to Buntzen Lake. Reservations are connected to vehicle licence plates and mobile phone numbers, and are non-transferable.
Those who use the booking system will be provided with a QR code to scan upon entry.
“We are confident these updates to the free reservation system will allow even more people to access the parking lot at Buntzen Lake this summer, while ensuring emergency vehicles and first responders are able to enter the site at all times,” said Chris O’Riley, BC Hydro’s president and CEO.