Parking fees are heading downtown in Tofino.
The district launched pay parking at local beaches in 2021 and initially expected to introduce downtown parking fees in 2022, but reluctance from the townB次元官网网址檚 municipal council along with staff turnover and competing priorities
B次元官网网址淚n hindsight the delay proved to be a valuable opportunity to review lessons learned from the beach pay parking implementation to improve the rollout of the downtown parking program,B次元官网网址� wrote director of infrastructure and public works Aaron Rodgers in a report reviewed by council on March 28.
The downtown program is expected to be in effect by May 20 and will run seasonally from May to October from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
B次元官网网址淪taff understand that any parking scheme must include accommodation for residents to shop, bank and pick up mail without having to pay for parking during the summer season,B次元官网网址� RodgersB次元官网网址� report reads. B次元官网网址淧revious District parking studies highlight that parking demand in Tofino is highest between 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. resulting in a lack of parking spaces. The downtown pay parking program is proposed to be operational for eight hours a day from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. ensuring that daily/weekly errands by residents can still be accomplished.B次元官网网址�
The program is expected to cost about $210,000 to launch and operate and bring in $440,000 for a net revenue of $230,000 in 2023. Adding that to the anticipated beach pay parking revenue, the district is expecting to net a total of $700,000 from parking fees in 2023.
The beach pay parking program is administered by Robbins through a contract with the district and the district has agreed to a $152,898 contract to pay Robbins to administer the downtown program as well.
B次元官网网址淭he objectives of the downtown pay parking program are to encourage a constant turnover of vehicles to ensure there are always open parking spaces, encourage a mobility mode shift and introduce an additional revenue stream to support important District initiatives,B次元官网网址� RodgersB次元官网网址� wrote.
The proposed rates are $1.50 per hour for the first two hours, $2 per hour for the third and fourth hour, $2.50 per hour for the fifth and sixth hour and $3 per hour for the seventh and eighth hour, meaning someone who takes up the same parking spot from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. would pay $18.
B次元官网网址淭he intent is (to) set a fee that is high enough to encourage the uptake of alternative modes of transportation, or shift preferred travel times, but not so high that parkers are penalized for visiting downtown,B次元官网网址� RodgersB次元官网网址� report reads.
The downtown program will consist of roughly 400 paid spaces, but will not include Campbell Street as that falls under Highway 4 and the umbrella of the provincial governmentB次元官网网址檚 ministry of transportation and infrastructure which, Rodgers suggested, B次元官网网址渋ndicates a reluctance to permit pay parking on Highway 4.B次元官网网址�
Rodgers said the ministry has suggested Tofino taking over the ownership of Campbell Street from the province and that district staff B次元官网网址渁re keen to exploreB次元官网网址� that idea following the launch of the 2023 program.
He added that any spaces currently allocated to offshore parking will not be affected.
The downtown system will be different than the beach system, meaning a beach parking pass wonB次元官网网址檛 be valid downtown and vice versa.
Rodgers said paid parking expands municipal revenue sources and incentivizes and emphasizes a quick transition to alternate and sustainable modes of transportation.
B次元官网网址淭he idea of this is to ensure we have availability of parking spaces, so by pricing spaces we expect to see turnover, meaning there will be open spaces for people to park in,B次元官网网址� he said, reiterating another goal is B次元官网网址渢o get people out of their single occupancy vehicles and into other forms of transportation particularly our seasonal shuttle and cycling.B次元官网网址�
He said downtown residents may be eligible for one free annual parking pass and an additional pass for a B次元官网网址測et to be determined fee.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 to help people adjust to parking being paid in front of their residence where they may have parked for free for many decades,B次元官网网址� he said.
He added that kiosks and signage will be installed along with community engagement processes prior to the program beginning on May 20.
B次元官网网址淚 would call that a soft date, one that weB次元官网网址檙e targeting, but parking is parking and sometimes things come out of the woodwork,B次元官网网址� he said.
Coun. Ali Sawyer asked about the fee structure around easing the burden on people who donB次元官网网址檛 live close to downtown and asked about someone who only needs to park for a few minutes without needing to pay for a full hour.
Rodgers responded that the principle is to maintain parking turnover, noting that parking will continue to be free before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. and suggested operating the system this year and then B次元官网网址渟ee how it feels and adjust how we need.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭his is something brand new for us. We know it works at the beach, downtown parking is a little bit of a different animal,B次元官网网址� he said.
Sawyer also questioned only offering downtown residents one free pass, suggesting many households have more than one car.
Rodgers countered that residents should be parking on their own property, rather than public roadways.
B次元官网网址淭he way that our bylaws are written, everybody should be providing all the parking for themselves on their lot. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what our bylaws say,B次元官网网址� he said, acknowledging that vehicles B次元官网网址渢end to spill out on the public right of way we all pay for,B次元官网网址� and itB次元官网网址檚 difficult to parse how many passes each residence should receive.
B次元官网网址淗ow do you unwind that? I donB次元官网网址檛 know. What you can do is encourage people to pay for what space theyB次元官网网址檙e actually using at the time that theyB次元官网网址檙e using it. I donB次元官网网址檛 know where I would begin in trying to figure out what that right number isB次元官网网址 donB次元官网网址檛 have an easy answer to your question. I do appreciate it and IB次元官网网址檓 looking forward to seeing what the community has to say about that and what downtown residents have to say.B次元官网网址�
Mayor Dan Law noted that public engagement about the downtown pay parking program is expected to pick up this week, but the contract with Robbins would already be approved.
B次元官网网址淲hen we go into the official public input phase, how much sway will the public have in changing any of this?,B次元官网网址� he asked.
Rodgers said he had spoken with communications staff about rolling out a comprehensive project expected to start on April 3 and that pricing, residential passes and hours of operation could still be tweaked based on the publicB次元官网网址檚 feedback.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 room to make some moves there, but to your point it is limited,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f I had to assign a percentage of how much is going to be available to people to modify, I would say 75-80 per cent will be set and 20-25 per cent weB次元官网网址檇 be able to move.B次元官网网址�
Law added that residents should understand that B次元官网网址減arking has never been free.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 paid for by taxpayers and grants. ThatB次元官网网址檚 something I always remind myself. Nothing we see is free, itB次元官网网址檚 always been paid for by somebody. This is a way of putting the cost of that infrastructure onto the people who use it,B次元官网网址� he said.
Coun. Tom Stere supported moving forward with the program, but expressed concern around adding fees to TofinoB次元官网网址檚 daily life.
B次元官网网址淭he affordability for residents in our community, affordability in general, is a challenge,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen we start adding costs to living in our community, I find that challengingB次元官网网址 still have difficulty with residents paying for parking in a community where we already are challenged with affordability. IB次元官网网址檒l leave it at that, but it is very problematic for me; itB次元官网网址檚 just non-stop adding of costsB次元官网网址 cannot get away from that affordability factor.B次元官网网址�
Rodgers retorted that the program would likely impact visitors more than residents.
B次元官网网址淔rankly, people paying downtown will largely be tourists. There will be some residents, but most likely residents have the opportunity to avoid the downtown because theyB次元官网网址檙e not here on holiday and they can make other choices,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淩ather than us looking at us as a municipality thatB次元官网网址檚 trying to take more, weB次元官网网址檙e just trying to adjust whoB次元官网网址檚 paying for what. If you have a car and you park downtown, you pay for that privilege. If youB次元官网网址檙e someone who walks or cycles, youB次元官网网址檙e rewarded for that because your taxes donB次元官网网址檛 go up.B次元官网网址�
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
Like us on and follow us on
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
