City of Vancouver staff recommend higher fees for new resident-only parking permits in West End

One recommendation is for existing permit holders to continue paying the same rate

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      A city staff report says that a new West End parking strategy will "help residents and their visitors find parking more easily and provide other benefits" to the community.

      One of the nine measures to accomplish this is jacking up new resident-only parking permits to $30 per month.

      The report recommends that existing permit holders be exempted from this price hike. They would continue paying the $77.90 annual fee.

      Higher parking fees would generate between $300,000 and $500,000 annually, which will take several years to materialize.

      In the first year, the report states, the city's take would rise by between $60,000 and $100,000.

      The recommendation goes to city council's committee on city finance and services on Wednesday (February 8).

      Other suggested measures in the new West End parking strategy include:

      * spending new permit revenue on community-identified needs in the West End;

      * dividing the West End into three smaller zones and "highlight the benefit of Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC) parking permits for those with mobility issues travelling between the zones";

      * encouraging parking in underused off-street parking spaces by working with property owners and amending zoning regulations;

      * improving parking enforcement to promote compliance;

      * permitting visitors to park in residential parking spaces when it's less busy;

      * adding parking meters to some on-street visitor spaces to encourage greater availability;

      * convert some residential parking to short-term visitor parking when there's less congestion in parking zones.

      "The West End permit zone has a population of about 40,000—made up of about 29,000 households," the report states. "Overall, households in the West End own fewer vehicles than those in other parts of the city."

      There are also nearly 22,000 off-street residential spaces in the neighbourhood. According to the report, thousands go unused because there are only 16,000 registered vehicles.

      It costs slightly more than $6 per month to buy an annual resident-only parking permit in the West End, far less than the median off-street parking price of $50 per month.

      By 2040, the West End's population is expected to grow by about 9,000 people, according to the West End community plan. This means there will be about 1.4 spaces per vehicle.

      "With careful management of all parking resources, there will be enough parking spaces for those who need them," the report states.

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