Paid parking not a welcome option

There's nothing like paid parking to make downtown business owners and pedestrians cringe.

As the city moves ahead with capital projects related to the downtown area redevelopment plan, administration is now also discussing different ways to make parking more pedestrian friendly over the next 25 years.

Paid parking, on-street or in a parkade, is one option under consideration.

"I think they need to get organized before they even think about paid parking," said Anthony van den Biggelaar, owner of Pose Hair on St. Thomas Street.

Looking out his front window, van den Biggelaar doesn't see many pedestrians walking by. So why make the few who do come pay, he asks.

Paid parking is something the city "shouldn't contemplate until we address downtown, and make it more vibrant and more of a destination," he said.

Other business owners said that paid parking may leave customers thinking twice about coming downtown.

Deborah DiGiuseppe of DiGiuseppe Interior Design said her staff already has trouble finding parking downtown. Before making them pay, they should create more parking options, she said.

More pedestrian friendly

In order to create a downtown that is attractive to pedestrians, "parking has to be done differently," said Carol Bergum, director of planning and development with the city.

But paid parking is only one of many options under consideration, she said. Other options include the development of parkades, smaller surface parking lots, parking that's further away, tucked in behind buildings, or underground.

Any of these options would likely be implemented as the downtown is being redeveloped over the next 25 years, she added.

"It's looking at different ways that we can continue to provide parking most effectively for a pedestrian-oriented area, like downtown," she said.

It will take a few months before administration will know what the demand and supply is for different parking options downtown. No timeline has been set for when, or if, paid parking could be implemented.

But there are several benefits that come with paid parking, she said.

It's one way to reduce the demand for parking, as more people may decide to come downtown by foot or by bicycle. Paid on-street parking could also increase the turnover for short-term shoppers, as customers pay to park for only one or two hours and then leave.

Paid parking "can be tied to the convenience and encourage short-term (parking)," she said. "And it provides an ongoing amount of availability of parking by encouraging that turnover."

Possible costs or payment options for paid parking have not been discussed, she said.

She did acknowledge that administration will have to look at options to accommodate employees of businesses. She suggested those looking for long-term parking are perhaps more willing to pay for it.

Parking in other communities

Before the creation of Centre in the Park, Sherwood Park's new downtown district, the city did not have any paid parking, said Gerald Gabinet, director of economic development.

Now Sherwood Park has an underground parkade that costs $2 for two hours of parking and they continue to offer free parking in the downtown that is restricted to two hours, he said.

As the downtown grows, the Strathcona County council may have to consider options for additional paid parking though.

"We will reexamine our entire parking strategy and it's subject to council's approval," Gabinet said.

He added that new building developments downtown are required to include underground parking. Business owners receive one free parking stall and pay for additional ones.

County staff who are parking downtown rent out a stall in the parkade.

Keeping it reasonable

"When you're putting parking metres in, all you're doing is hiring extra people who run up and down the street to write tickets," said Marv Porowski.

Porowski, a pedestrian who ran errands in downtown St. Albert during the lunch hour, said paid parking would also hurt the farmers' market. Because people don't want to pay for hours of parking, he said.

Other pedestrians, such as Jody Terrault and Danielle Jean, agreed that paid parking may discourage people from going downtown. If anything, they would prefer it if short-term parking remained free for people who need to run short errands or drop off books at the library.

"I am a realist and I understand that everybody needs to make money," said Jean. "It wouldn't really bother me if it was reasonable, if it's a dollar as opposed to downtown Edmonton where it's $20."