The Town of Banff plans to investigate paid parking in a bid to ease traffic and parking woes in the tourist town.
User paid parking, which was soundly defeated by residents in a plebiscite in 2000, is back on the discussion table as part of town council’s 2012 strategic priority to look at a sustainable transportation system.
Mayor Karen Sorensen said the option to charge for parking is just one part of a discussion on a sustainable transportation system, which includes cycling infrastructure, regional transit, traffic flow and parking management.
“As we try to get more people out of their vehicles and onto regional transit, paid parking may motivate more people to walk, cycle or take transit,” said Sorensen, who has not made up her mind on the controversial concept.
“Revenues generated from this source could be directed towards enhanced transportation services.”
Critics have long argued increased costs will drive away tourists, who already have to pay a fee to enter Banff National Park. In 2000, residents soundly voted down paid parking in a plebiscite.
For most of the year, Banff is a town of about 8,800 residents, but at peak times, particularly during summer, the population swells to up to 25,000 on any given day, forcing RVs, buses and cars to jockey for limited parking spaces.
As part of 2012 budget deliberations, council approved $90,000 for completion of a master plan to look at transportation solutions, to be completed by next November.
In 2007, town administrators estimated charging for parking in the downtown core could generate between $497,000 and $626,000 in annual gross revenue. A parkade would have cost between $14 million and $16 million.
Paid parking is not uncommon in resort municipalities throughout North America, including Whistler in B.C, Aspen, Colorado, Tofino, B.C. and Vail, Colorado.
Councillor Leslie Taylor said she is willing to consider paid parking as an option.
“At present, we charge people to ride transit, but we charge the taxpayers to give everyone ‘free’ parking. People who walk, ride bikes, or ride transit are paying so that others can have free parking,” she said.
“It seems that we are penalizing the behaviour we want. As well, we are concerned about parking supply – paid parking is a proven, effective means of managing and turning over a community’s parking supply.”
Taylor said she believes concerns about paid parking in the last referendum can be dealt with more effectively now, due to advances in parking technology.
“People didn’t like the idea of unsightly parking meters all over town. Parking technology has moved beyond that. We could consider having wall-mounted pay stations for a pay-and-display system,” she said.
Residents also didn’t like the idea of paying for parking.
“We could consider issuing a set annual amount of parking credits to all residents,” said Taylor.
“I hope we could cooperate with Parks Canada, so that people could pick up their resident passes and their parking credits at the same time.”
Coun. Grant Canning said he is prepared to have the discussion around paid parking, but it needs to be included in a much larger transportation discussion.
“How can you make a decision on paid parking without looking at our transit system, traffic flows, the existing lack of parking, and the potential effect it will have on our visitors, among many other considerations?” he said.
Canning said if council decides to go ahead with paid parking, he believes the revenues should go back into transportation and transit initiatives, not general revenues.
“For example, paid parking revenues should lessen, if not eliminate, the fares being charged to take Roam (buses),” he said.
Coun. Stavros Karlos said he too is willing to look at paid parking within the framework of a broader transportation and parking plan.
“For me, a major consideration would have to be a clear plan to effectively reduce congestion on our streets, get people out of their cars and put vehicles into parking stalls quickly, which serves three purposes: environmental, aesthetic and experiential,” he said.
“Most likely my support, as in the past, would have to be tied to meaningful capital projects in order to meet the goals I have set out.”
Coun. Paul Baxter said he is open to talking about paid parking if it was included in discussion on an overall transportation plan.
“If I would support paid parking it would be not only for revenue reasons but to encourage people to use more efficient, environmentally friendly forms of transportation,” he said.
“I do not believe a paid parking debate would be constructive as a stand alone topic, but would be open to ideas in regards to paid parking as a compliment or a section of an overall transportation plan.”
Darren Reeder, executive director of the Banff Lake Louise Hotel Motel Association, said he is pleased council is looking at the issue in the broader transportation plan, but has concerns about increasing costs to visitors.
“In principle, we’re against any additional costs being introduced at this time, but without knowing the net benefits to consumers, and what the tradeoffs are for better experience, we can’t comment at this time,” he said.
