Disagreements over downtown parking policies are a good problem for a city to have. If there is no need to discuss parking fees and fines, that means nobody wants to visit downtown and the local economy is suffering.
Fortunately, that is not the case in Vancouver. Downtown businesses are doing well, the city is alluring, and additional growth is imminent. Because of that, officials are considering policies that could increase the price of public parking in the city. Vancouver’s Parking Advisory Committee is planning to recommend that the city council increase fines for parking infractions and leave room for increases to hourly parking fees. Council members are scheduled to review the proposals at a workshop today, and a public hearing is expected on Aug. 21. Among the ideas:
• Increase the maximum meter fee from $1.25 an hour to $2.50.
• Raise the fine for an expired meter from $15 to $25.
• Extend the grace period for paying a parking fine. Currently, the $15 fine doubles after 15 days; the proposal would have the new $25 fine double after 21 days.
While nobody likes increased fees, the recommendations are sensible. Most important, it should be noted that the hourly fee would not automatically grow to $2.50 an hour, but city officials could increase it to that amount in high-demand areas. Other areas could see incremental increases depending upon the supply and demand for local parking. As city Parking Manager Steve Kaspan said, “We are proposing raising the limits of what can be charged in the future since the cap has already been reached.”
That is why changes to the fine for an expired meter also are warranted. As Kaspan noted, somebody parking for the day at a 10-hour meter would pay $12.50; if they didn’t pay and received a ticket, the cost would be $15, which would seem like a worthwhile risk for many a scofflaw. (We should mention, however, that cars can be ticketed more than once during the course of a day).
In attempting to find the sweet spot for parking fees and fines, the overriding goal must be to assist local businesses and generate commerce. Setting fees too high can scare away customers; making them too low can result in cars occupying a parking space for hours while leaving incoming patrons with no place to park, ultimately driving them away from the heart of the city. Consumers and clients should be able to visit downtown with confidence that they will be able to find a reasonable place to park at a reasonable price. It is bad for business if potential customers must walk a half-mile to their destination in pouring rain or 95-degree heat.
Tentatively, city officials hope to use increased parking revenue to facilitate improved parking enforcement. This will be essential for managing the area; people will be more willing to pay a little extra if they have confidence that scofflaws are not getting away with breaking the law. Kaspan said increased revenue would allow the city to hire a new enforcement officer, which would cost an estimated $86,000 a year.
With the downtown area bustling and with the Vancouver Waterfront project scheduled to begin opening next year, proper parking management will help make the area inviting. That requires a delicate balance, and it is one that can be problematic if handled poorly. Then again, that’s a good problem for a city to have.
