SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 1
T&T COMMITTEE AGENDA
APRIL 22, 1997
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: March 13, 1997
CC File No. 5652-1
TO: Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT: Resident Permit Parking Fees
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the following resident permit parking fees be
approved. This will meet Council s revenue target of
$325,000 in additional revenue:
- $48 in the Downtown peninsula zones (West
End and Robson North);
- $36 in the Central Broadway zones
(Fairview, VGH, Oak West);
- $24 in the Outer zones (Kits Point, Kits,
Strathcona, Mount Pleasant, South
Granville, Broadway Station, King Ed.,
Commercial, PNE, Joyce Station, Boundary)
B. THAT Council approve two Parking Checker positions to
provide increased enforcement in resident parking
areas with the annual cost of these positions offset
by annual enforcement revenues estimated to be
$140,000.
C. THAT Council approve start-up costs of $20,000
including the purchase of one vehicle and ongoing
operating costs of $10,000 offset by enforcement
revenue.
D. THAT the Director of Legal Services bring forward the
necessary By-Law amendments to enact the above fee
increases.
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COUNCIL POLICY
On February 4, 1997, Council approved in principle an increase
in resident parking fees, with the intention of raising
$325,000 in increased revenues.
On February 20, 1997, Council deferred a decision to increase
resident permit parking fees and requested a report back to
provide further information on the fee increase proposal.
PURPOSE
This report provides further information on resident permit
parking programs and recommends a three level permit parking
fee.
BACKGROUND
On February 20, 1997, City staff presented a recommendation to
increase resident permit parking fees to $60 in the two
Downtown peninsula areas (West End and Robson North) and to $24
in the rest of the City. Council, in reviewing this proposal,
approved the following;
THAT staff report back on establishing graduated
Resident Parking Permit fees in other areas of the
City to better respond to parking conditions in the
areas and reduce the discrepancy in fees between the
West End and other areas.
Resident permit parking regulations are established on
residential streets to provide increased access to streets for
area residents and are meant to reduce or eliminate overspill
parking from outside generators. Each area s program is unique
and is designed to respond to the specifics of an area s
problems. The previous policy was to sell the permits at cost
and the fee is now $16.00 inclusive of GST.
The proposal to increase permit parking fees is supported by
Council s transportation policy to better price the real cost
of the automobile and recognizes that there is a value to the
reserved use of street space.
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Each area, however, is different and this report examines these
differences.
Amount of Street Regulated
The amount of street space that is regulated and when it
is regulated vary from area to area. The West End has by
far the greatest amount of street space regulated and has
all the lanes regulated with full time resident parking.
Close to 85% of street and lane spaces are regulated in
the West End. In other central area zones, factoring in
the days and the time of day the regulation are in effect,
the amount of street space regulated ranges from 40%to 50%
and in outer areas it averages 30%.
Price of Parking
The price of off street parking varies by area. Generally
the more central the area, and the higher the density, the
higher the price of parking. Lower density neighbourhoods
typically have little if any direct cost for parking.
Average West End parking prices were $336 per year in
1994. In the Central Broadway area the average price of
residential parking is lower and is roughly $200 per year,
partly because of a lower cost to rent parking and also
because a greater number of people have no direct cost
because they own their space. In outer areas most
households have no direct parking cost. In addition, in
outer areas, the adjacent streets are unregulated and
their use is available at no cost.
Level of Parking Enforcement
Parking enforcement levels in residential permit parking
areas vary and generally depend on the amount of regulated
space, the number of violations, and the distance from the
city centre. The West End and Robson North areas receive
the highest level of enforcement, with dedicated parking
enforcement staff. The Central Broadway zones are
inter-mediate in enforcement level. Remote zones in outer
areas of the City receive a lower level of enforcement
relying primarily on resident complaints.
Based on the above differences, staff believe a three-tiered
fee structure could be supported with the fees set at relative
values of: 60 in the downtown peninsula, 36 in central
Broadway, and 24 in other areas.
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REVENUE CALCULATION/FEE LEVEL
As permit parking fees increase, people would find the permits
less attractive and fewer would be sold. Staff have reviewed
this elasticity of demand in more detail and, although it
cannot be verified until rates have changed, the table attached
as Appendix A should provide a good approximation.
As noted in this table Council s budget target of $325,000
would be met if the West End/Robson North fee is set at $48,
Central Broadway (VGH, Fairview, Oak West) at $36, and the
other zones at $24. This meets Council s objective of setting
a graduated fee that reflects conditions in the various areas
and reduces the discrepancy in fees between the West End and
other areas.
ADDITIONAL PARKING ENFORCEMENT
In the past, there has been a significant number of complaints
about low enforcement levels in resident parking areas. Many
resident parking zones are quite remote, and enforcement
requires that staff be redeployed from other activities. This
is frequently done on a complaint basis, and results in very
low productivity. With a higher fee for permits, there will be
a greater expectation that the resident parking programs will
be properly enforced. It is recommended that the City hire two
additional Parking Checkers. One of these staff would increase
enforcement in the West End and the other would be assigned to
increase enforcement in the other areas.
Annual revenues from the increased enforcement are
conservatively estimated at $140,000 and would offset the
costs.
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