Council Says Pay Parking to Return to Downtown, but No Word on How, or When
Monday, March 26, 2012 @ 7:55 PM
Prince George, B.C.- The "free" parking in downtown Prince George may soon come to an end. Council is calling for a return to pay parking in the downtown core, although its not clear, how people will pay or when that might happen.
It has been two years since the parking meters were removed from the downtown of Priince George and staff started chalking tires to ensure vehicles weren’t over staying their two hour “free” limit.
According to staff, the free two hour limit parking pilot project resulted in a net loss of about 80 thousand dollars last year. In 2007 , the best year for comparison, net profit was about 80 thousand dollars, so that’s a $160 thousand dollar swing.
Staff had recommended Council examine one of three options, and preferably go with option 1 or 2.
Option 1, called for staff to come back with a report on “implementation strategies” to bring back the meters.
Option 2 called for a further report on keeping the parking situation as is, but enhancing enforcement.
The third option called for maintaining the current free parking but improve signage.
Mayor Green, who has a business on 4th Avenue, says she has witnessed people "coming out of a business with a spray bottle and a rag and wipe the chalk marks off their tires, which just blows me away." She also says people "play chess with their vehicles all day long" moving them from one spot to another throughout the day. She says wiping chalk off tires is not "on with me, so I am very much looking at option number one."
Councillor Albert Koehler says he favours status quo because he thinks it is more "business friendly" and installing meters would cost more money.
Councillor Murry Krause says this is a perennial issue, and clearly what we’re doing isn’t working. "It’s not working, one of the questions I did have was, we’re talking about Core Review and talking to our staff, so have we talked to front line staff to see how we might do it differently?"
Bylaw Services Manager Guy Gusdal says there is a variety of ways the City could return to on street parking, including prepaid, and using new technology, but those issues would come back in a more detailed report depending on which direction Council would want to go.
Councillor Brian Skakun says make no mistake, with what the City is paying to chalk tires and have people pay their fines, this is not "free" parking.
Councillor Dave Wilbur says the loss of $160 thousand dollars, clearly shows the system isn’t working. He says "rewarding bad behaviour by continuing the current system is not acceptable".
Councillor Garth Frizzell, who operates a business on Third Avenue, says he doesn’t think this is the time to reintroduce pay parking.
Councillor Frizzell was the only Councillor to oppose the move to return to pay parking.
Council has also approved having the Finance and Audit Committee work with staff to bring back a report on the possible options that could be used to return to pay parking, including meters, kiosks, or whatever technology would provide the best option for that return to pay parking.
Comments
just another reason for me not to return to Prince George! The council of the day, no matter what year it is in Prince George, do not have a clue as to how to run a city! You clowns are talking about parking meters, and nobody can get to them because of your MESSED UP ROADS.Hello, anybody notice a POTHOLE lately?
FIX THE ROADS, CAN YOU IDIOTS NOT GET IT!!!
taxi
Bring back the parking meters and send the tire chalkers into residential neighbourhoods to chalk all the illegally parked logging trucks.
Oh right, that would mean that bylaw services would be enforcing an existing parking bylaw wouldn’t it? Can’t have that now can we.
And in another year Green will commission a study to see why downtown business continue to fail and customers continue to avoid the downtown of PG like a plague.
If only council could get as interested in pot holes and road repairs.
2-1/2 years more years of Green. What a nightmare.
Well there is a surprise , more wasting of public money.What is it going to cost to install all new meters , maintain and repair them etc etc. My guess is far more than the $80,000 in revenue they generate. Now how much are the downtown businesses going to lose now because many refuse to pay for parking when downtown supporting local business. Why would they when they can park at a mall for free all day and shop. Prince George should change their slogan from Open for Business to Open to killing business. taxinapothole , I could not have put it better myself . 2 words Shari , responsible spending. When will city hall understand ,it is not your money , it is our money .
Gee whiz! Parking meters AND panhandlers. I wish city hall would pick one. Pay for parking, paying panhandlers optional. If you know you are gonna be panhandled, ask them first. Insist.Be kinda pushy but be nice.It kinda throws them off.
Is downtown parking a problem? I work downtown and don’t see it. reintroducing meters because some people may abuse it is ass backwards. Come on council move on. The revenue is no where near the hassel. If parking becomes an issue, revisit it. This ranks well down the list of priorities for this council.
imo, council is doing what they do best.
Bring on Impark. Contract it out and be done with it. This is something the core review will or should suggest. Why is the city in the parking control business to begin with.
Two simple principles need to be adopted starting with the basic – “The control of parking downtown will not be subsized by the average taxpayer”`(as it is now) In other words at the very least it has to break even.
2. The second important factor is “the pricing structure (hourly feeand fines) should be set up to encourage employees working in the downtown to gravitate to off street parking lots.”
Whatever the operational model looks like after doesn`t make a big difference though you gotta figure an automated system(meters) would be a hell of a lot cheaper than a manual system (more bylaw officers). This would allow for less cost per hour to reach a break even point. High operational costs (labor) means the fines and hourly charge have to be higher just to break even.
This is pretty simple stuff that a first year business student could figure out.
Well Mitch2,a first year business student doesn’t seem to be able to figure out a way to fix the roads! Now, can you put that wisdom to getting the streets fixed? It would be time better spent, and I think that is what everyone is saying.
The tax payers of Prince George pay big bucks for these clowns to put their effort into bigger problems than this. This is not a problem, the parking meter issue was resolved several years ago when the meters were removed.
IT’S WORKING COUNCIL, DON’T TRY TO FIX IT!!
!
taxi
look up “idiot” on Wikipedia, and get back to me if you think they best describe Prince George City Council, past and present!
I have my opinion, I want to hear yours….
It is difficult to believe that the City
“net profit was about 80 thousand dollars” So this would have to take into account the Meter Maid wages, ticketing tools and supplies, meter maintenance, meter repairs, counting, rolling and banking coins, enforcement through mailed threats, court actions etc. What about paid fine revenues?
Maybe what they meant was the meters collected 80K in coins. As for a “160,000.00” swing what in hell is that supposed to represent? Comparing a supposed profit to an estimated loss, is that taught in business school?
The downtown merchants do not deserve to have parking meters imposed, just have the business owners and their employees who park on the street pay a fee for that convenience. It could not be too difficult to figure that one out.
Oh, the answer just came to me!
City Council must commission a study, best if conducted by an expert from away, to examine the issue of parking meters. Set a budget, say $350,000.00?
metalman.
I don’t go downtown much, but when I do I have not had an issue finding a place to park. Whats all the excitement about.
“””””””””””””Staff had recommended Council examine one of three options, and preferably go with option 1 or 2.
Option 1, called for staff to come back with a report on âimplementation strategiesâ to bring back the meters.
Option 2 called for a further report on keeping the parking situation as is, but enhancing enforcement.
The third option called for maintaining the current free parking but improve signage.”””””””””
OPTION 4: Discontinue ‘chalking tires’ and ticketing for parking…cost savings would be derived from no longer paying salaries and benefits to all city employees involved in parking enforcement and costs associated with purchasing parking tickets etc. Probably at least $90,000+ in annual savings.
OPTION 5: Purchase computer equipment [as seen on tv show Parking Wars] to identify those circumventing parking bylaws via computerized licence plate identification, and install ‘the boot’ until fines are paid. PUNISH the offenders….not the innocent downtown shopper.
OPTION 6: Install toll booths on all routes entering the City of Prince George. On all road, rail, and air routes. It’s a user pay system where those that are driving on the roads, or adding to the downtown airshed pay into the maintenance of the city.
Option 2 was the answer. Natually they ignored it.
We dont need meters downtown, or anywhere for that matter. They are just a huge pain in the A, and serve no usful purpose.
Parking downtown is not a problem. I suspect the real issue is that all the Citys parkades are probably half empty, and they want to force people to use these monoliths.
No useful purpose????? In some Cities parking is a top revenue. You don’t want the City to make money? You don’t want your taxes to increase! You don’t want meters for water or electricity! Come on… Get real. What is a couple dollars to live in the best country in the world. PG is just following example.
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