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Canmore council approves downtown paid parking to commence June 2020

"It’s really part of a comprehensive plan that’s looking at a number of different ways that we can sustainably in the long term manage parking and transportation in our community with the significant challenges that we face and in a way that’s consistent with our values.”

CANMORE – Coming in June 2020, residents of Canmore and tourists alike will have to pay-up to park in the community's downtown core.

At its regular business meeting Tuesday (Dec. 3), council unanimously approved a paid parking program, which will see Canmore’s downtown core move to a paid parking system from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day of the week starting next summer.

The paid parking system will come at a cost of $1 per hour with the exception of Main Street, which will see a $1.50 per hour rate, during the peak season (May-September). Drivers won’t be charged if they park for less than 30 minutes and 15-minute stalls will remain as is. Prices for all-day parking will be $6 per day, or $60 for a monthly pass during peak season. However, residents who live in the downtown core will be able to register to park two vehicles for free with additional two-year permits available at a $100 cost.

“Pricing off-peak – October to the start of May – would be 1$ per hour in the prime [Main Street] areas only, four hour parking is free in all of the other areas,” said manager of engineering services Andy Esarte.

“We’re proposing a $2 all day charge, or a $10 all day pass in the all-day [parking lots] and that’s really just an expectation that those areas are still going to be in demand in the winter time, they could be full in the winter time. Certainly that’s something that would be monitored as part of assessing the utilization in those areas to determine if that’s warranted.” 

Paid parking was originally proposed between the hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m., but Esarte explained the timing was changed after consultation with local businesses.

“We’ve tweaked those in this final recommendation to be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and that’s due to the idea that businesses can actually modify – certain businesses – can modify the hours in which they provide services and it was a recommendation that came from a number of businesses,” he said.

“Occupancy of 85 per cent, that’s what we’re aiming for. Currently we see occupancy peaking during the prime hours of midday, but relatively unoccupied in the shoulders of that peak time. So the idea behind the proposed change in hours is so that we can encourage more parking in the off-peak time and help spread the parking demand.”

­Esarte said although paid parking will be implemented, there will still be a number of free options available, including; free public parking before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m., free parking under 30 minutes, 445 private parking stalls in the downtown core, parking validation by a business, the majority of four-hour parking will be free in the off season, or using free public transit.

For employees who work in the downtown core, Esarte said they could use free all-day public parking, all of which is about a six minute walk from downtown Canmore with 250 stalls (made up of approximately 100 spaces on Fairholme Drive, approximately 75 spaces on 7 Avenue, and approximately 75 spaces available in the panhandle behind Elevation Place extending to Save On) or the aforementioned all-day parking passes, $60 per month during peak season and $10 per month during off peak season.

To manage spill over, private land owners would have to put up their own signage to indicate the parking is private, as well as monitor its use. However, land owners would be able to ask the municipality's bylaw peace officers to enforce their parking restrictions if they encounter issues. 

"It’ll strictly be an option for businesses to have support from bylaw for enforcement,” said Esarte.

“The fine revenue from enforcement in general is still required in order to fund those seasonal positions and in order to fund the program.”

The approved capital budget was $300,000 with operating costs per month estimated at $8,000, plus transaction fees. Administration estimated the program will generate $200,000 to $350,000 of net revenue annually, which will in turn help fund fare-free transit at a cost $97,000. 

Mayor John Borrowman and fellow councillors voiced support in the paid parking plan, most feeling the congestion downtown needs to be managed. 

“I firmly believe that over time and as we learn a bit more about the implementation and tweak it, or perhaps modify it, over time the concern that we hear voiced from some members of the community will dissipate,” said Mayor Borrowman.

“I regularly hear from friends in Canmore that they just don’t come downtown anymore, it’s just too congested, it’s too hard to get parking, and so in that sense we’re losing that sense of the heart of the community.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Coun. Rob Seeley

"I will also support this motion ... I've seen this strategy work very well in other communties and it's nice to have a parking management plan ... there's lots of reasons to support and I'm looking forward to it," he said. 

Increased intercept parking, improved hotel guest communication on walking routes and maps, as well as working with the Downtown Business Association on sharing private parking is up next in the overall larger integrated parking management plan, according to Esarte.

“A reminder that these strategies are a set of a larger part of strategies – this isn’t a silver bullet, this isn’t a one off,” said Esarte

"It’s really part of a comprehensive plan that’s looking at a number of different ways that we can sustainably in the long term manage parking and transportation in our community with the significant challenges that we face and in a way that’s consistent with our values.”

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