Agenda Index City of Vancouver

TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets

FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT: Issuance of Parking Exemption Permits

RECOMMENDATION

CONSIDERATION

CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

Council's policy on parking exemption privileges is that they be provided to City employees on City business, severely disabled persons, and senior government vehicles engaged in policing functions.

In 1997, Council approved the Transportation Plan, including a policy ensuring there is sufficient short-term parking in the Downtown to meet normal demand.

SUMMARY

The City issues over 1400 three-hour parking exemption permits each year to workers in various groups who require parking for their vehicles in the discharge of their duties for the City. These include City staff, the Mayor, Councillors, Park Commissioners, and senior government agencies doing police work in Vancouver. Also issued permits are workers in agencies that formerly were within City government, namely the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board and the B.C. Assessment Authority. Finally, three-hour permits are issued to those Members of Parliament and the Legislative Assembly who represent Vancouver ridings and, by past practice, to representatives of certain media outlets reporting on City issues, as authorized by the Mayor's Office. Parking exemption permits with no time limit are issued to two groups - some 200 under the Disability Exemption Permit Program, and another 20 to holders of the Freedom of the City.

With increased pressure on scarce time-limited on-street parking, and increased numbers seeking permits to make free use of this space, it is important for the City to carefully screen entitlement to parking exemption permits. Otherwise, others dependent on street parking will find access unnecessarily reduced. However, the policy should be modified to acknowledge entitlement by MPs, MLAs, holders of the Freedom of the City, and the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board and B.C. Assessment Authority (who perform what in essence are City-serving functions). The number of permits issued to the latter two groups may be excessive, since City staff do not screen them, and there is no incentive to cut down. The Assessment Authority should pay for their permits, as does the Health Board already; however, both should do so on a cost-recovery basis. The Disability Exemption Permit Program should receive a comprehensive review within a year to ensure that entitlement is extended to those who qualify, and on an appropriate basis. No changes should be implemented until the report back to Council. Finally, Council is asked to consider whether to continue issuing parking exemption permits to the media and, if so, whether on a cost-recovery basis.

PURPOSE

This report seeks Council clarification on policy for the issuing of parking exemption permits.

BACKGROUND

On-street parking is intended to be used for short-term parking, in support of Council's transportation policies. Permits have long been issued for those functions that are essential to the operation of the City. The number of parking exemption permits issued annually has changed over time. In the 1960's, Council policy was to provide exemption permits to government vehicles, City or otherwise, on policing business, and to City employees who used their vehicles on City business. For some time, exemption permits were granted to Federal and Provincial employees, of which there were some 4,000 locally. This caused loss of short-term parking, with so many employees consuming on-street space. As well, it became increasingly difficult to exercise effective control over the use made of the permits by non-City government agencies; thus, they were rescinded in 1964.

In September 1976, the City's Parking Meter Enforcement Program commenced operation, with the result that the enforcement level in metered curb parking areas was greatly increased. This, in turn, prompted requests from many government agencies not involved in policing activities. In 1977, Council re-affirmed its policy and did not expand its program to include other agencies or organizations.

In 1982, Council approved the expansion of the Parking Enforcement Branch to include the enforcement of all daytime parking regulations in the Downtown Peninsula. With the expansion another round of exemption permit requests were submitted to the City. Requests came from Federal and Provincial employees, BC Hydro, BC Telephone, news media, couriers, delivery companies, etc. In 1983, Council again reviewed the parking exemption permit program because of the wide variety of organizations that were requesting special exemptions, and once again re-affirmed its standing policy.

Since 1983, the parking meter program has expanded into many commercial areas of Vancouver beyond the Downtown Peninsula. In 1997, the time limit in the core was set generally to a two-hour limit, some having a three-hour limit. Previously, the meters in the core were a variety of 30-minute, one-hour, and two-hour limits. As well, the meters were changed to a seven-day operation and in effect until 8 p.m.

DISCUSSION

The parking exemption permit program was originally devised to avoid reimbursing City employees for parking meter fees and to eliminate the paperwork involved when using their vehicles on authorized City business. The program has been successful in accomplishing its goals. The exemption permit allows three-hour parking at parking meters and in other time-limited areas.

Currently, the City issues over 1400 three-hour exemption permits to City staff, Councillors, Park Commissioners, MPs, and MLAs. Three other groups receiving these permits, the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, the B.C. Assessment Authority, and the media, are discussed below. Currently, eight permits are issued to other government agencies (four each to federal Customs Services and to provincial Investigations) for policing functions. Engineering Services continues to receive occasional requests from other senior government agencies, which have been denied. A summary of permits issued, by group, appears in Appendix A.

(a) Health Board and Assessment Authority

These two agencies were formerly part of the civic staff, and continue to provide City-serving functions. In excess of 400 parking exemption permits are issued to the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, for which the City receives $100,000 per year. These are primarily used by the Community Health Nurses and Homecare Nurses working in the community with Vancouver residents. The permits can be supported in order that service not be disrupted and as a case of "grandfathering". With the permits secured on a fixed-cost, lump sum basis, as is now the case, there is no incentive to restrain the number requested. It would be mutually beneficial for staff from the City and the Health Board to work together to determine the number of permits needed, and have the City reimbursed on a per-unit, cost-recovery basis, as determined by the General Manager of Engineering Services.

The property assessment function also has been taken over by the Provincial Government (B.C. Assessment Authority), and its workers, like the Health Board's, continue to receive exemption permits (22 in 1998). Unlike the Health Board, the Assessment Authority does not pay for its permits. For the same rationale as with the Health Board, continued issuance can be justified; however, parity would suggest that the permits be paid for. Three-hour parking exemption permits have been sent out to the Assessment Authority for the upcoming 12 months. It is recommended that in subsequent years these be on a cost-recovery basis.

(b) MPs, MLAs, and those with Freedom of the City

Engineering Services also issues exemption permits to the five MPs and ten MLAs who hold seats in Vancouver ridings. The permits are only to be used while they are on official business. Up to this point there have been no negative impacts from the issuance of the exemption permits to these two groups. The 20 or so holders of the Freedom of the City are given unlimited parking at meters or at other locations where time limits apply. It is recommended that Council recognize these three groups officially.

(c) Media

Media outlets have been receiving approximately 90 parking exemption permits each year. These have been limited to television stations, radio stations, and major and local newspapers/publications which routinely report on Vancouver news stories. These are issued only with authorization from the Mayor's Office. Council is asked to consider whether to continue this practice in the same manner, restrict the practice, require payment for the permits, or not issue the permits.

(d) Disability Exemption Permit Program

This program was last reviewed in 1977; since then, there have been many changes affecting this program. When the program began in the early 1970's, it was intended to provide short-term, not commuter, parking, and approximately a dozen severely disabled persons qualified for a permit. They were using wheelchairs as their mobility aid, and some had difficulty handling coins. Meters were limited to one-half hour or one hour, which made it extremely difficult for anyone with a disability to return to the meter before it expired. Also, meters were only located in the downtown area and at the rate of $.25/hour, so the impacts on revenue were of little consequence.

This year Engineering Services has issued approximately 100 permits to individuals and 100 to Pacific Transit HandyDart vans. Staff receives dozens of calls and applications from disabled individuals and organizations who want to become part of this program, for many reasons. Many state it is for financial reasons. Organizations such as the MS Society, Persons with Aids Society, Coast Foundation, Support Services for Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia, Parapalegics Association, and G.F. Strong, to name a few, advertise to their clients that this program is available. Several of the current participants work in the downtown core, and appear to be using the permits for commuter parking since, unlike the standard three-hour parking exemption permits, these individuals have no time restriction (on a "grandfathered" basis). It should be noted that approximately 50% of the participants live outside of Vancouver, including one now living on Vancouver Island.

Given the changes to the parking meter program over the years, the increase in the availability of off-street parking and disability parking spaces in parking lots, the increase in applications (with many from outside Vancouver), and the potential for significant lost meter revenue, a review of the disability exemption parking permit program is recommended, to be reported to Council before next year's program.

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The proposals in this report have no particular impact on children and families. Parking for persons with disabilities could be affected in the proposed review of Disability Exemption Permits; the nature and extent of impacts will be reported back. The proposals in this report have no particular impact on the environment.

CONCLUSION

The parking exemption permit program is generally working well, and is meeting the objectives of providing public service with minimal bureaucracy. Beyond City employees, permits are issued to grandfathered agencies which formerly were part of civic administration, senior government policing functions, elected representatives, the severely disabled, and certain members of the media. The current policy is essentially sound.

As a matter of policy, it should be made official that the MPs and MLAs who hold seats in Vancouver, as well as holders of Freedom of the City, be entitled to receive parking exemption permits. Staff also recommend that, henceforth, provincial Health Board and Assessment Authority personnel be issued permits according to their needs on a cost-recovery basis. It is submitted for the consideration of Council whether requests from media outlets should continue being considered by the Mayor's Office, in accordance with past practice, and whether these should be paid for.

As it has been over 20 years since there has been a review of the disability exemption parking permit program, there is a need for comprehensive review and consultation to determine its future. It is recommended that staff report back on this program within a year.

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APPENDIX A

1998 PARKING EXEMPTION PERMITS

Listed below are the totals for 1998. The totals vary slightly from year to year.

Three-hour limit parking exemption permit holders:

City of Vancouver employees 850

Vancouver/Richmond Health Board 433

B.C. Assessment Authority 22

Media Outlets 90

MPs 5

MLAs 10

Senior government agencies 8

Total: 1418

Unlimited time parking exemption permit holders:

Freedom of the City 20

Disability program+ 200

Total: 220

+Note: In 1999, the approximately 100 permits issued for HandyDart service were for three-hour parking exemption.

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