Banff politicians have backed away from implementing paid parking throughout the downtown core for now – but they are investigating a trial user-pay system in certain parking lots.
Council has asked administration to draw up cost estimates and implementation options to run a paid parking pilot project on at least one, or perhaps as many as three, surface lots in the downtown core – lots on Bear Street, Beaver Street and by Town Hall.
They are also looking at slapping people with warnings and fines as part of a crackdown on parking enforcement, as well as looking at costs and options to increase frequency of the Roam transit both locally and regionally between Banff and Canmore.
Mayor Karen Sorensen said the ideas under consideration, including an extensive education campaign, aim to change people’s behaviour and get them walking, riding or taking public transit to keep prime downtown parking spots open for visitors.
“With the idea for a trial user pay project, my concern is the reaction from the public will be paid parking is 99 per cent done, but this is not the case,” she said during a council meeting Monday (May 12).
“My intention is to gather as much information as we can and to see if visitors avoid user pay lots or whether they seek them out because they are more convenient.”
Banff is a town of about 8,200 residents for most of the year, but the daily population swells to up to 25,000 people in busy times, forcing RVs, buses and cars to jockey for limited parking spaces.
Studies show Banff’s 1,400 on-street and off-street parking stalls are about 125 stalls shy of what’s currently needed, and the shortfall will only get worse as the regional tourist market from Calgary and surrounding region continues to expand.
Just like in 2000 when paid parking was shot down by residents in a plebiscite, the issue has again proven highly controversial, with business groups and residents voicing loud opposition to council.
Businesses fear paying to park, on top of a fee to enter Banff National Park, will deter visitors from coming and perhaps push them to neighbouring Canmore, while residents are concerned paid parking will add to already high costs of living in the tourist town.
Shannon O’Donovan-Zirnhelt, the Town of Banff’s engineering coordinator, said user-pay parking was a recommendation of the transportation master plan, produced by Calgary-based traffic experts.
She said an estimated 30 per cent of traffic congestion downtown is caused by motorists circling looking for parking, when those visitors would rather be exploring downtown Banff, shopping, dining or gallery hopping.
“Although the least popular tactic, it is considered to be the most effective way to change unwanted driver behaviour – that is all day parking by commuters – as it presents monetary disincentive,” she said.
Councillor Stavros Karlos, who was clearly frustrated many times during Monday’s meeting, fears Banff is not doing enough to solve the issue, saying the ideal situation in Banff would be paid parking and free transit.
“I won’t support paid parking at this time. I don’t think it will happen this year, maybe not for five or 10 years, but it’s going to happen eventually,” he said.
“I think enforcement is a back ended approach to paid parking, but a number of businesses have asked us to do this. We’ll enforce the crap out of the downtown, but it’s backwards paid parking.”
Karlos said he shares concerns of many businesses in town, but believes paid parking will eventually need to be implemented because it has proven to reduce congestion elsewhere in resort communities, like Aspen, Colorado.
“I don’t want to screw over businesses in Banff. I am worried too, but we are going to roll into next summer and all we’ll hear about is why is it so congested. Not doing enough will be just as harmful to our businesses in the long-term,” he said.
“Is circling the road in your vehicle for 45 minutes with three screaming kids on a busy weekend and you can’t find parking and it’s crazy out there a good visitor experience? The last thing I want to see is Canmore throwing up a sign on the highway saying free parking.”
If the paid parking trial in a limited number of lots goes ahead – either this year or next – the municipality will have the chance to look at the effect of parking rates on occupancy, turnover and length of stay.
Revenue generated from a pilot project is estimated to be $100,000 to $140,000 per lot.
Depending on council’s decision once the cost estimates and implementation options are drawn up, administrative said the trial could be up and running as early as July and August, or by next summer.
“The purpose is to see if visitors are willing to pay and what is someone willing to pay for what we deem as a premium location,” said O’Donovan-Zirnhelt. “One concern we have is that it will increase congestion in the downtown as people circle around looking for free spots.”
Councillors Grant Canning and Ted Christensen were the only politicians to vote against considering a limited trial.
“I have issues with the perception around this,” said Canning, who prefers an all or nothing approach. “Paid parking on a trial basis is, in my opinion, option C. Let’s see if other options work first.”
For the short-term, council has asked administration to look at costs of using licence plate recognition technology, which can be hand-held or mounted on a vehicle, as an enforcement tool, plus look at a ticket system that could generate warnings before fines.
Increased pro-active enforcement of all downtown time limit parking areas in summer is under consideration and getting bylaw officers out earlier in the day to chalk tires to discourage residents and Canmore commuters from parking all day in prime tourist spots.
Council is seeking cost estimates for enforcement of no same-day return parking in parkades and surface lots, and putting in a time limit of four hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. in zones in the downtown core.
The tactics aim to significantly deter all-day parking in prime visitors stalls by people working downtown Banff, but would allow a resident or a visitor from elsewhere in the Bow Valley to run errands.
“I don’t see coming back to the same stall on the same day as the problem. I see how long someone is in the parking stall as the issue,” said Canning.
For a related story, see page 8.
