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edmonton.taproot.news

On the agenda: Downtown parking lots, river valley plan

This week, council will discuss a program to regulate downtown surface parking lots, financial updates for the capital and operating budgets, and a new plan for redevelopment in the river valley.
edmonton.taproot.news edmonton.taproot.news

  • Council is scheduled to debate a program that would regulate surface parking lots in the core at a public hearing on Dec. 9. Administration has identified about 120 surface parking lots in the core, noting many are operating without a development permit and have no current pathway to obtaining one because previous city policies essentially ban that possibility. Administration has proposed a new use in the zoning bylaw to allow for a temporary surface parking lot — as long as the lots are improved with paving or upgraded gravel, trees and shrubs, lighting, and accessible parking spots. Parking lot operators would have 18 months to apply for a development permit and another 18 months to complete improvements. Both residents and lot operators criticized administration’s proposed maximum permit duration of seven years for gravel lots and 10 years for paved lots. Residents and community organizations said seven to 10 years was too long and didn’t feel temporary, suggesting a permit max of three to five years. Operators, on the other hand, said the permit was too short to make the proposed improvements financially viable, especially if they are required to pave, and suggested permits run up to 20 years or even be made permanent. If council approves the program, operators can apply for the temporary permit as of January.
 
I agree with the residents because I am one. 10 years is far too long, and I'm not not buying the financial viability point regarding the 10 year timeline. Permanent permits are completely reasonable for underground lots, not any surface lots.

I'm hoping this leads to the sale of some lots to developers that are willing to build.
 
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Gronk! said:
www.ctvnews.ca

Free parking at Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market scrapped, city may use revenue for area improvements

Edmonton’s urban planning committee has asked city administration explore ways to reinvest parking revenue into areas in which they are generated.
www.ctvnews.ca www.ctvnews.ca
Click to expand...
Whyte ave doesn’t have a ton of parkades compared to similar main streets in other cities. I wonder if some larger paid parkades with street facing retail along whyte would be good as the area densifies and more surface lots are redeveloped. Especially since LRT on whyte won’t happen anytime soon.

Accessed from alleys or side streets. Would give employees and local business more consistent spaces too.
 
Gronk! said:
www.ctvnews.ca

Free parking at Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market scrapped, city may use revenue for area improvements

Edmonton’s urban planning committee has asked city administration explore ways to reinvest parking revenue into areas in which they are generated.
www.ctvnews.ca www.ctvnews.ca
Click to expand...
Seems like the city of Edmonton has been reading Donald Shoup's famous book The High Cost of Free Parking.

The three reforms in the book break down like this:
  • Charge the right prices for on-street parking. The right prices are the lowest prices that will leave one or two open spaces on each block, so there will be no parking shortages. Prices will balance the demand and supply for on-street spaces.
  • Spend the parking revenue to improve public services on the metered streets. Because everybody will see their meter money at work, the new public services can make parking meters politically popular.
  • Remove off-street parking requirements. Developers and businesses can then decide how many parking spaces to provide for their customers.
 
I think Cheryll Watson does make a lot of good points. Downtown is still battling to make a go of it and this really is another potential obstacle for people to visit, even if it probably is the future that will need to come eventually.

Just recently my Grandma was telling me about how she drove my Grandpa to an appointment and they had to park in a privately owned lot that only took virtual payments. They’re in their 80s and got quite frustrated and overwhelmed by it. Finally had to go in and ask someone to help them set it up. By the time they did they had received a parking ticket.
 
I remember parking at a downtown parking lot a couple of weekends ago. There was a parking machine that took payments, and a QR code. I scanned the code (and set up the credit card), and I was fortunate to make the online payment.
 
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