What do you think about City of Vancouver’s recommendations?
Survey HERE.
West End Parking Improvements – Recommendations
We heard you! Last fall, almost 4000 Vancouverites shared their thoughts on parking in the West End, and provided feedback on tools to improve it.
We’re now back with specific recommendations for you to consider. Our goal is to make it easier for people to find parking in the West End permit zone, in ways that don’t encourage more driving overall. . . .
. . . . For more detail on the recommendations, what we heard last fall, and upcoming open houses on this topic, visit vancouver.ca/westendparking .
Baby steps. $50/month now is suggested. Not $10. Woohoo. $50/month. I can see the howls ! It should be $250/month if they are serious.
The math: land in the west-end is easily $20M an acre. An acre is about 40,000 sq ft, so $500 per sq ft. A car is about 6 x 20 feet so 120 sq ft. Thus, a parking spot is worth about $60,000. Using 4% that is $2400/year or $200/month, plus admin costs, say $50.
Anything below that is a subsidy of car users, or shall I say squatters (as free parking is like squatting, see here: https://pricetags.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/free-parking-is-like-squatting/ ) ?
So why not start with $50/month and increase it $50 per year to $250/month by 2021 ?
The idea to allow folks with surplus parking lots to rent them out or use them for car-sharing is a great idea.
I find the proposed idea of distinguishing between residents and visitors nidicolous. Does a resident have more right to a parking spot on a road he does not own ? Why not charge them all the same, say $2/h or $20/day or $250/month ?
Only far higher fees will reduce car use. Both parking or driving. Nothing else. In parallel, there needs to be more alternatives like Uber or a subway or a rapid bus or bike lanes.
It is also crazy that people who are grandfathered get an even cheaper rate. There is a huge opportunity to meet our green cities goals while at the same time provide much needed revenue.
Green is the color of money. Vancouver is not so “green” afterall. Westend is prime Vision voter base. can;t piss them off too much.
True but I do not see other political parties screaming for higher fees/taxes.
If there is a waiting list for $50 a month parking then the price is too low. On the other hand, if they can’t sell all of the permits @ $50 it is too high.
If you’re gonna squeeze in an additional 10,000 humans to the West End (see the plan), then you gotta do something.
Only cyclists and the wealthy need apply. We must have Vision™.
Not true. There’s hardly any bike parking in the West End.
Cars are parked 95% of the time. If you need a car for a task then car share is a viable alternative. By eliminating ownership of a car you will save $8,000-10,000 per annum. So between car share, bike share, transit and walking the majority of West End residents’ transportation needs are covered at a much lower cost than owning a car.
Indeed. And therefore, to reduce car use, and to truly promote sustainable and green cities, pricing of parking needs to be dramatically increased and not subsidized by 80-90% of the true value of road space like today.
As such, $50/month plus grandfathering is a joke.
It looks like a good and realistic plan, all interests considered. Instead of grandfathering the price of existing passes could be increased every year until it reaches $50. If pass demand outstrips supply the price can be adjusted in the future.
The $50 rate is set to match market pricing for off street parking in the area. The former rate was so low that even people with off street parking would buy a pass, for use when they went elsewhere in the West End. Having smaller zones will help resolve that issue.
Grandfathering is a way of gaining acceptance, but based on 20% annual turnover, won’t be around for long anyway.
I am pretty sure if the grandfather regulation passes that 20% annual turn over will go down a lot because people will have a large financial incentive to not cancel your parking pass.