Editor: I am writing to point out that, in my opinion, there has been a massive oversight in planning for the parking trial downtown.
The reason there isn’t a lot of turnover in that lot is because it is used by people who actually work in the downtown core. Not just staff at the Civic Centre, but my law office, other law offices on 10th street, banks, property management companies and a host of other small businesses trying to take care of our clients.
The parking in this town is horrendous, and the Mountain Market on Thursday has forced my office to institute a “no appointment” day because my clients can’t park.
I can’t park on Thursdays unless I am here before the market gears up. It is not practical to expect every person who runs a business downtown to walk or take their bike to work every day.
We need to park and we need to park all day. The lot on the other side of Main Street is quite often full as it is, and I expect that congestion to get worse as we all fight for parking during the business day while this trial is going on.
If the Town would like to charge me a monthly fee, and promise me a guaranteed parking spot in return, then I will gladly pay it. However, I am interpreting this parking trial as a slap in the face to businesses who need to actually be in their offices in order to operate.
We are less important than the tourists who need to shop for a maximum of four hours.
Jessica Sturgeon,
Canmore
