The controversial issue of paid parking in Banff is going to a vote of the electorate.
At a meeting Monday (June 26), council voted 5-2 to ask a specific question on the Oct. 16 election ballot – is there ever a time the Town of Banff should implement user pay parking?
The decision to move ahead with a plebiscite on election day was welcomed by Banff Residents Against Paid Parking (BRAPP).
“BRAPP’s pleased that we will have a question appearing on the ballot,” said Alanna Pettigrew, noting Banff residents shot down paid parking in a previous plebiscite in 2000.
“It’s not specifically the question perhaps we had looked towards; however, the question is still something we find acceptable and can work with.”
Earlier this month, Councillor Grant Canning tried to persuade his fellow councillors to scrap the plebiscite and make the contentious, and complex, paid parking debate an election issue.
He got support from councillors Stavros Karlos and Corrie DiManno at last Monday’s meeting; however, when Canning’s motion was defeated, DiManno ended up supporting the simple ballot question.
Coun. Brian Standish said he agreed with many of Canning’s concerns, but could not support him.
“I believe the people of Banff deserve an opportunity to vote on this issue, not only Alanna Pettigrew and her BRAPP group, but everyone else,” he said.
Canning said user paid parking is only one part of a much larger transportation-parking-traffic management-transit- residential parking issue, saying it’s fundamentally flawed to consider one component in isolation.
He said user paid parking couldn’t be crystallized into a simple single ballot question.
“Our community does have a voice, our community will provide input, our community will have the final say when they elect a new council,” he said.
Canning also said circumstances have changed since the plebiscite pledge in 2014, pointing to a proposed 900-stall parking lot at the Banff train station lands and the introduction of Calgary-Banff On-It transit, which sold out one of its routes last weekend.
In addition, he said, a vote of the electorate knowingly excludes groups of residents from participating on the issue.
“I believe a decision of council should represent everyone who lives in Banff, not just those who are able to vote,” he said.
Coun. Chip Olver voiced support for a vote of the electorate, wanting to honour the 2014 motion of council, acting as the finance committee, to hold a plebiscite on the issue, and two previous petitions.
“I am prepared to ask the question and accept the results of the vote,” she said.
That said, Olver said she wanted to publicly say she’s an advocate for the potential use of paid parking because some have suggested candidates who plan to run for council can hide behind the statement: “I’ll respect the results of the vote.”
She said user pay parking is another tool in the toolbox to better manage parking and support transit and other transportation initiatives.
Revenue can be used to support parking and transportation infrastructure, she said.
“The taxpayer covers so many of the costs of our visitors and I think this is the only way for visitors to directly contribute themselves to the cost of those services,” she said.
For Olver, user pay would only be used during busy times of the day and year, primarily in the downtown core; residents would get credits to help offset costs and a residential parking system could consider resident-only zones or a visitor pay component.
“To determine concepts like these, I would consider it essential to form a residential advisory committee to determine how could this happen,” she said, noting BRAPP should be invited to the table.
Coun. Ted Christensen agreed there should be further public consultation on the issue should the vote of the electorate come back in favour of paid parking.
Coun. Stavros Karlos is pro paid parking, noting other communities around the world have proven user pay parking can change behaviour and entice people out of vehicles, reduce congestion, and provide a better experience for people.
“I don’t believe a one line question will get us any further ahead in terms of solving our long-term parking and congestion issues,” he said. “Whether or not it’s binding on a future council, nothing is going to happen for another 10 years.”
