CANMORE – A price increase during peak season could soon be coming to Canmore’s visitor-paid parking.
The Town’s finance committee recommended council increase downtown paid parking by $1 and Quarry Lake parking to $5 per hour during peak seasons. The committee also recommended council expand the downtown paid parking zone to include Riverside Park and the boat launch area near the Bow River Bridge.
If approved by council at the end of budget talks in December, Town staff estimate it will increase revenue by $625,000 in 2024.
“We need to continue to adjust and evolve what this service level does. I think the fee increase in peak season in downtown as well as the fee expansion in the peak season for Quarry Lake as well as the expansion of the Town Centre zone are appropriate ways in the next way to expand the paid parking program and continue to evolve it,” Coun. Tanya Foubert said.
“There are many ways in the future we can continue to improve this program and I think there are three ways to improve it in 2024.”
As part of its recommendation, Town staff said an 80 per cent threshold of parking lots being occupied was used in proposing the fee change, which it found was the case in 2023.
A staff report noted the main intent of paid parking is to assist with the Town’s goals of transitioning more people to an active mode shift, but also that it generates revenue to “offset operational costs and fund priority programs, services and infrastructure.”
It added as people shift from personal vehicles to walking, cycling and public transit, it can ease congestion and minimize the amount of cars searching for parking spots.
“Achieving mode-shift targets is essential to ensuring parking availability, and vehicular network capacity, as well as supporting social, economic, and environmental goals of the community,” the report stated.
The report highlighted 95 per cent of revenue in downtown paid parking comes from visitors.
The Quarry Lake changes, if council approved, would have fees increased from $5 an hour to $10 an hour with a two-hour minimum.
Andy Esarte, the Town’s manager of engineering, compared it to having a park fee as well as assisting with operational costs.
“It was a means of managing parking, but it reflects the fact there are operating costs associated with Quarry Lake as a larger amenity and that was the intent with the minimum,” he said.
A three-year pilot program funded by the province will have a new transit route come into service in 2024 that will connect Grassi Lakes day-use area, the Canmore Nordic Centre and Quarry Lake to the rest of Canmore through Roam transit service.
Mayor Sean Krausert said the high use of parking lots shows an increase in fees could assist in mode shift as well as lots becoming more open if it dips below the 80 per cent threshold.
“It makes sure someone really wants to be there when they’re paying those dollars,” he said. “I definitely see the need in the peak season and the weekends are already over 80 per cent and while it’s only two seasons they’re definitely trending up for the summers on weekdays.”
A motion by Coun. Wade Graham sought support to have the $1 increase for downtown be only on weekends and holidays for 2024.
He agreed on weekends parking capacity downtown is above the 80 per cent threshold, but felt it hadn’t hit the same level on weekdays.
“We are trending upwards, but I don’t think we’re there,” he said. “With the economy potentially changing for 2024, I’m a little nervous with this increase. We’ve got feedback from some businesses in the downtown core they’re looking to bolster weekday traffic and I think this increase is a little premature.”
Coun. Jeff Mah, who was council’s representative on the Downtown BIA for the past two years, agreed with Graham that it is a concern for downtown businesses.
“When I’ve had conversations with the BIA, there is inherent stress business owners feel from Monday to Thursday with visitation. … I’m happy to bump up when we start breaking the 80 per cent threshold, but I’m happy to follow Coun. Graham’s initiative here,” he said.
The motion was defeated with Mah, Graham and Coun. Karen Marra in support, who echoed that it was a way to support downtown businesses since “I think this is one little thing to make them feel more comfortable and will maybe encourage more usage from visitors Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays.”
However, with residents receiving three free hours a day, the majority of council felt a consistency throughout the week with pricing was needed and the increase wouldn’t impact visitation.
“The consistency is key,” said Coun. Joanna McCallum. “I honestly don’t think this is going to stop people from getting in their car and not going to Canmore on a Friday versus a Saturday versus a Thursday for an extra $1 per hour. “In terms of the business community downtown, do they want the tourist to pay the $1 or pay it in their taxes because that is the alternative.”
Krausert raised with residents having three free hours of parking a day, it’s more about managing visitation and congestion of parking.
“This is really about visitors and the cost of them,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to be influential in the cost of decision-making too much, but hopefully it’ll be influential in turning over their vehicles if it gets to be tight. I don’t think this would protect the downtown at all. I think it’ll be the same traffic it’ll always be.”
Tory Kendal, the chair of the Downtown BIA, said its board meets Nov. 22 and expects it will be discussed further.
He said the BIA didn’t get specific notification from the Town it was at finance committee, but said his hope is paid parking revenue would ultimately go back into areas where the money is collected.
“We’d like to see some of that revenue outside of the (Town Centre) grant go towards improvements in our area,” Kendall said.
“I really do believe that the area that revenue is made in should also benefit from it.”
According to the report, Town staff proposed operating expenses for paid parking go from $378,000 to $451,000 due to having run the program for a full-year and having a better idea of associated costs.
The increase will be $43,000 for extra contracted services and $30,000 to address bank service fees with expected increased transactions.
Town staff are projecting a net revenue of $1.448 million in 2023 for paid parking. Roughly half of that would go towards public transit costs, while nearly half is likely to go to reserves and additional money would go to the Downtown BIA and Rocky Mountain Heritage Foundation.
A staff report stated Riverside Park and the boat launch area were considered to be eventually added when the paid parking program began due to high demand in those areas.
“Parking demand in Riverside Park has historically been relatively high, and with visitation to the Engine Bridge increasing, demand has grown,” according to the report.
Esarte said the areas hadn’t been consulted, but they would inform the community and “listen to feedback on the extent of the zones if it were to be approved,” as well as a resident permit parking being needed.
As the program continues, the staff report stated other areas may be added “with parking management consistently applied throughout the community as a medium-term goal.”
The downtown and Quarry Lake paid parking changes would take effect May 15, while the addition to the parking zones in Riverside Park and the boat launch would start Jan. 1, 2024.
Canmore residents in the resident parking permit program can still access three hours of free parking each day.
“I think we are creeping up to that 80 per cent (threshold). I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t see if it’s going to hit there next year, but I feel this increase is not a drastic increase,” Coun. Jeff Hilstad said. “I think the consistency to make it throughout the week all the same is a more simple approach. I don’t the dollar difference from someone driving from Calgary alone is going to make a difference because the gas alone is more expensive than the parking.”
DOWNTOWN PAID PARKING POTENTIAL CHANGES
- Jan. 1 to May 14, 2024: $2 an hour
- May 15 to Oct. 15, 2024: $4 an hour
- Oct. 16 to Dec. 31, 2024: $2 an hour
- Oct. 16 to Dec. 31, 2024 on weekends and holidays: $3 an hour
QUARRY LAKE PAID PARKING POTENTIAL CHANGES
- Jan. 1 to May 14, 2024: $2.50 an hour
- May 15 to Oct. 15, 2024: $10 an hour with a two-hour minimum
- Oct. 16 to Dec. 31, 2024: ($2.50 an hour)
RIVERSIDE PARK AND BOAT LAUNCH POTENTIAL ADDITION
- Jan. 1 to May 14, 2024: $2 an hour
- May 15 to Oct. 15, 2024: $4 an hour
- Oct. 16 to Dec. 31, 2024: $2 an hour
- Oct. 16 to Dec. 31, 2024 on weekends and holidays: $3 an hour
ESTIMATED INCREASE IN REVENUE
- Quarry Lake: $155,000
- Downtown: $400,000
- Riverside Park and boat launch: $70,000
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