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The city now intends to charge $30 annually for the first residential parking permit, $45 for the second and $70 for the third, as well as $45 each for the two visitor permits.
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The City of Calgary is moving ahead with implementing residential parking permit fees in December, though residents of restricted parking areas will be charged less to park in front of their homes than what was previously put forward.
A briefing for the infrastructure and planning committee on Wednesday states the city will charge 40 per cent less for residential parking permits than the original fee. The fees are set to go into effect Dec. 4.
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Earlier this year, the city announced plans to charge “ground-oriented” households in Residential Parking Zones $50 a year for the first residential parking permit, $75 for the second permit and $125 for the third. Additionally, homeowners could buy up to two annual guest parking permits for $75 each.
Under that payment structure, a three-vehicle household that also opted to buy two annual visitor passes would have paid $400 a year to park in front of their home.
But reduced enforcement costs and other parking program efficiencies mean the required fees can be less and still achieve cost-recovery, according to the city’s briefing.
“Enforcement is now faster and uses fewer resources while some of the most costly components of the historic program have been eliminated,” it states.
Negative feedback leads to delay
While the parking fees were originally set to be introduced in August, the city delayed implementing them after receiving backlash from both residents and councillors.
An online petition against the fees launched by Capitol Hill resident Brenda Tackaberry garnered more than 15,000 e-signatures.
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A majority of councillors was also critical, with 10 signing onto a notice of motion spearheaded by Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot requesting the city look at other options.
As a result of that review, the city has returned with fees of $30 annually for the first residential parking permit, $45 for the second and $70 for the third, as well as $45 each for the two visitor permits.
On Saturday, Chabot reiterated he feels Calgarians should be entitled to park at least one vehicle on the street in close proximity of their home, free of charge.
“I understand why we would want to charge a fee for subsequent vehicles,” he said. “But everyone should be entitled to at least one in reasonable proximity to their homes.”
City staff did look into that as well as other options, according to the briefing, which states the scenario Chabot suggested would require increasing the second residential permit to $200 a year and the third permit to $375 a year in order to achieve cost-recovery.
Chabot said the city could look at using alternative revenue to reduce those higher fees for additional permits, such as the Park Plus system.
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“If we utilize some of those funds — which are in essence parking revenue — to offset the costs to allow citizens to park at least one vehicle in close proximity to their place of residence, that should also be considered,” he said.
Market permit fees also lower
The city is also proposing adjusted fees for the market permit program, which allows residents of high-rise apartments and condo towers to park on the street within 150 metres of their building.
The city’s new market permit rates would charge high-rise dwellers $105 a month instead of $150 a month for the first permit, as well as $75 a month instead of $100 a month for the second permit and $50 a month instead of $75 a month for the third permit.
The low-income market permit is also set to drop from a proposed $6.50 a month to $2.50 a month.
Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott, whose inner-city ward includes many residential high rises, called the lower fees a good “middle ground” between free and private parking.
“Adjusting the prices is always a responsible thing to do when you’re running a program like this,” he said Saturday. “The initial fees were based on projected pick-ups, understanding that we had to try and determine how many people were going to actually use this program.
“The reality is there are thousands and thousands of people fighting over hundreds of spots.”
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