SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 4 T & T COMMITTEE AGENDA FEBRUARY 5, 1997 ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT Date: January 7, 1997 Dept. File No. CC File: 5653-1 TO: Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services SUBJECT: Langara College - Pay Parking Proposal RECOMMENDATIONS: A. THAT the City rescind its agreement with Langara College that restricts the College from charging for parking on its property. The City will no longer be responsible for a portion of the maintenance costs on the College s parking lot (estimated to be $7,000 in 1997). B. THAT City staff be authorized to expand the Resident Parking program in the residential neighbourhood adjacent to the College to restrict over-spill parking generally in accordance with Appendix A. This work is estimated to cost $20,000 (including $6,000 already completed to convert and expand the existing resident parking zones) and the College will reimburse the City for these costs. C. THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services continue to monitor the area a n d make any necessary adjustments to the regulations after discussions with residents. COUNCIL POLICY Council has supported neighbourhood parking programs to reduce overspill parking by the installation of resident parking regulations. The City, though Transport 2021, supports parking pricing to reflect the cost of its provision and to reduce the use of the automobile. A 1971 resolution of Council prohibited the College from charging for parking. In 1994, Council reviewed a CD1 amendment of the site, divided into two phases. Phase I, additions to buildings and parking, is now complete. Phase II is to include further additions and a Parkade. Among a series of conditions for the site, Council approved the following related to pay parking: That Council has a willingness to consider pay parking in Phase I. That, subject to Council approval, the College, as part of Phase II, be permitted to institute pay parking on campus at such time as Langara College has obtained an Occupancy permit for a parking structure which will provide an aggregate of not less than 1450 spaces on campus, and subject to the College funding the costs of implementing a resident parking program to a maximum of $20,000 (in 1994 dollars), prior to occupancy of the parking structure. PURPOSE This report revisits a request by Langara College to charge for parking on their parking lots. The report reviews the public consultation process, provides information on Traffic Demand Management (TDM) initiatives taken by the college, and discusses the need for expanded resident parking regulations in the adjacent community. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION On October 10, 1996 City Council deferred a request by Langara College to charge for parking in the College parking lots. This deferral allowed the completion of the public consultation process in the surrounding residential neighbourhood. It is now appropriate to review the request by the College. They have completed their Phase I addition, and have undertaken a number of TDM initiatives as noted in the report. Staff have also now changed the existing mix of resident permit and unregulated zones to 100 percent resident parking only zones, to better protect the community from overspill parking. Staff have also further consulted with the community. The changes to the resident parking regulations have significantly reduced existing overspill parking in the community. There has been some expansion of the impact area and some continued parking violations, particularly corner clearances, however, these problems can be dealt with. These changes indicate that proper signing can deal effectively with the impact of pay parking. This is very important as the ability of parking regulations to deal with increased overspill because of pay parking was a major concern of the community. A potential impact area has been identified if pay parking were approved. Without resident parking regulations pay parking would push many of the people that currently park in the Langara College parking lot onto the surrounding streets. It would be expected that parking overspill would extend from 44th at Manitoba to 56th at Ontario. Staff have drafted a plan that attempts to provide this protection. Resident parking only zones would be installed in a broad area outside the existing parking regulations. These draft regulations are illustrated in Appendix A. LANGARA COLLEGE INITIATIVES Langara College have renewed their request to allow pay parking. This request, attached as Appendix B, also identifies TDM initiatives that respond to Council s October 10, 1996 request that the College prepare a TDM plan. These include the formation of a College transportation committee; an information/ education program; additional bicycle spaces, including 200 class A spaces; work towards better transit, including improved service frequencies and bus shelters; and better community liaison. These should reduce the College s reliance on the automobile and potential neighbourhood impacts. The College is also responsible for the costs of a traffic signal that would be located at their parking lot exit, at 49th and Columbia. This signal could also reduce the amount of traffic that now exits onto Ontario. It was agreed that the need for this signal would be determined by City Council from a study to be commissioned by the College within 5 years of the enactment of their recent rezoning. Because of community and City staff concerns about access and safety at this location, the College has been asked if they could proceed with this review later this year. PUBLIC CONSULTATION In July 1996, staff initiated a public consultation process in the neighbourhood surrounding Langara College. Information was distributed to the community and a well-attended public meeting was held to discuss the pay parking proposal. There was great concern about the potential impacts on the neighbourhood, and residents particularly felt that the existing resident permit parking regulations in the immediate area did not provide the type of protection to deal with the greater impact of pay parking. Since the changes to the resident parking regulations, an information flier was distributed to all the residents in the immediate area. The changes to the signing in this area have been well received, although several individuals have expressed a desire to maintain permit regulations to make enforcement easier. These requests can be accommodated with the agreement of their neighbours. A survey of residents in the outlying area shows support for pay parking at Langara, provided resident parking regulations are first installed on the residential streets. This is a change from the community s initial reaction to the proposal, and reflects the success of the changes to the existing regulations. * * * * *