In May, the Whistler, BC, Council directed the parking office to double the parking rates and to implement pay parking in one of the local garages which had been free. Here is the kicker, no consultation, just do it, we need the revenue. Of course the garage was full but institute pay parking goes in it and the garage becomes a barren waste land.
The city had public outcry, a petition, a facebook group and 250 + letters to Council. Last week the Council, decided to suspend the pay parking in the garage and commence a comprehensive parking study and community engagement.
This destination vacation location has become a hotbed of parking activists. The council wanted to balance its budget on the backs of the parking public, and the public reacted, as they should.
It’s a classic object lesson to city councils. Arbitrarily raising parking rates to garner increased revenue doesn’t work. It only makes people angry. However if you take a step back and address the rates situation, give your customers input, and then take a market approach to the process, success can be guaranteed.
OH, it also helps if the money raised by parking goes back into the neighborhoods from whence it came. You know, better lighting, sidewalk repair, more cops, whatever. Simply dumping it into the “general fund” is never a win and can guarantee substantial PR problems, and maybe even an election loss.
JVH
