Pay parking is back on the upcoming agenda for Council Sept.20.
According to a report in the council package staff are recommending some changes to how pay parking operates.
Among those is the introduction of two types of passes: a Monthly Pass and Gold Pass.
The monthly pass would be available for purchase by anyone (proof of employment not required), offer access to available parking in Lots 4 and 5 year round (whenever the lots are open), access to lots 2, 3, 4 and 5 during "shoulder season" (May 1 to June 15 and October 1 to November 15), and the pass would be linked to a license plate and transferable once. The cost would be $50.00 for one month, $120.00 for three months and $150 for six months.
The gold pass would be a joint venture between the RMOW and the Day Lot Operation committee with a 50-50 revenue share model.
Only 20 would be available with a monthly cost of $120 or a year for $1,320. It would give drivers access to day lots as well as the underground of the conference centre, conference centre surface lot and Main Street any time those lots are open.
MMM Consulting - hired to stick handle the issue last June after public outcry over pay parking - and the RMOW only looked at pay-parking options in Lots 1 through 5.
Among the calculations done was the investigation of the idea that if $5 a day was charged it would result in a better revenue picture that charging twice that amount. The modelling did not support that, states the report to council.
In the end staff are recommending:
• Hourly - $2.00 year round (up to the daily maximum)
• Daily - $8.00 year round, down from proposed $13.50 summer rate.
• Evenings (after 5PM) - $5.00
• 24 hours (summer only) - $16.00
• Daily X10 - $65.00 (sold as a preloaded card or cards)
"The rate scheme that staff proposes meets the expectations of 67 per cent of our visitors. It is hoped that when combined with deeply discounted monthly passes the rate program is acceptable to most people," states the report.
"It is anticipated that annual revenue from the day lots will be approximately $988,0003. This is less than the $1.4 million that has been considered in the five-year financial plan. This will result in a budget challenge in 2012 and moving forward."
The report goes on to state that the reduced revenue means that pay parking will not be able to repay the cost of repairing the debris barrier for the Fitzsimmons landslip, will not be able to establish operating reserves and will "greatly reduce" the contributions to the community transportation initiatives.
For more on the report and council's meeting pick up Pique Thursday.
