West End Parking Strategy

Actions we're taking to improve parking

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  Charge market-based rates for new parking permits 

  Recommendation

  Adjust the permit price to market-based rates, with these conditions:

  • Renewing permit holders and future low-income households continue to pay current rates
  • New permit holders would pay a market-based rate – $30/month or $360/year
  • Any increase in revenue from permit sales would be reinvested in the West End to help deliver community-identified needs

  What changed with the rates

  • In response to affordability concerns, we reduced the recommended new monthly rate from $50 to $30. The initial recommendation was based on existing off-street parking prices, whereas the new rate reflects more detailed modelling of the value of on-street parking compared to off-street spaces.
  • We added a provision to allow low-income households to pay the same permit rate as existing permit holders. To be eligible for the non-market rate after September 1, 2017, households need to be registered in the Vancouver Park Board Leisure Access Program or provide the required documents to apply in person.

  Why market-based rates are a good idea

  • It will make parking easier and reduce congestion - By charging a market rate for permits, more people will choose to park in their buildings. This will free up street space for people who need it, making parking easier and reducing traffic caused by driving in circles looking for parking.
  • It addresses concerns about affordability - Existing permit holders would pay the same rate as before, so there is no risk of pricing existing residents out of the neighbourhood.
  • It generates revenue to improve the community - Any increase in revenue from permit sales will be used to help pay for amenities in the West End.

  Background

  Before September 1, 2017, on-street permits were much cheaper than off-street parking.

  Parking	Monthly cost
  On-street permit before September 1, 2017	$6
  Off-street parking	usually over $50

  As a result, many people were choosing to park in the street, even if they could park in their building. Some buildings have over 100 empty spaces. Overall, there are about 1.5 residential spaces for every car registered in the neighbourhood.

  What we heard in summer 2016

  We recommended to:

  • Charge a $50/month permit rate
  • Keep existing permit holders on their same rate
  • Give revenue back to the community

  Results

  • Visitors and residents without a car supported the recommendation.
  • Residents who have a car (both permit holders and non-permit holders) didn't support the recommendation.

  What we heard in fall 2015

  • Visitors and residents who have a car, but no permit (who represent 34% of households), support increasing permit prices.
  • Residents without a car (who represent 46% of households) support increasing permit prices.
  • Residents who have a permit (who represent 20% of households) did not support increased prices.
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  Keep existing permit holders on the same rates

  Recommendation

  Let existing permit holders who purchased their 2017 or 2018 permit before September 1, 2017, renew at the non-market rate.

  Why we think existing permit holders be kept on the same rates

  • It addresses concerns about affordability - With existing permit holders paying the same rate as before, there is no risk of pricing existing residents out of the neighbourhood.
  • It will make the transition to market-based permit prices easier  - Permit price increases are supported by all groups except permit holders (20% of West End households). Since most permit holders choose not to renew their permits over time, most permits will be sold at the new rate within 5 years.

  Background

  There is high permit turnover in the West End. Of the approximately 20% of West End households that have parking permits, many choose not to renew their permits. After about 5 years, only about 1 in 5 original permit holders remain.

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  Create a parking benefit district

  Recommendation

  Report back to City Council on the possibility of doing a participatory-budgeting trial. Find out about participatory budgeting in the West End

  How are recommendation changed

  We clarified that the community will help decide how to spend any new permit revenue through participatory budgeting (a democratic process requiring we work with community members that's been used successfully around the world).

  In December 2017, City Council approved the framework for a pilot participatory budget process used to spend any incremental permit revenue from market rate permit sales. The revenue will be re-invested in the West End to help deliver community-identified needs.

  Why we think creating a parking benefit district  is a good idea

  ​It will help improve the West End - Revenue will be used to help deliver amenities identified by the community.

  What we heard in fall 2015

  This is a new idea from people who filled out the survey.

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  Divide the permit zone

  Recommendation

  Divide the West End permit area into 3 smaller zones with Denman and Davie streets as new dividing lines. Note Permit zone boundaries won't be changed in 2017. We'll monitor the strategy's effectiveness and make zone changes in the future.

  How our recommendation changed

  Throughout the West End Strategy process, we heard that many people with limited mobility rely on the larger permit zone to park at destinations away from their home for medical visits and so on.

  We added detail about the SPARC Parking Permit Program for People with Disabilities External website, opens in new tab  that is free and allows qualified people to park:

  • In all resident parking permit zones for up to 3 hours
  • In no-parking zones for up to 30 minutes to load and unload

  Why we think we should divide the permit zone

  It will make finding parking easier - Three smaller zones will make it easier to find a parking space closer to home because residents will only use the zone where they live. The West End permit zone is the largest in the city. Many people park in destinations far from home and, as a result, make it more difficult for people living near those destinations to park. Dividing the zone along the major streets Denman and Davie makes the new zones easy to understand and enforce.

  What we heard in fall 2015

  • Visitors and residents who have a car, but no permit (who represent 34% of households) support smaller permit zones.
  • Residents without a car (who represent 46% of households) support smaller permit zones.
  • Residents who have a permit (who represent 20% of households) don’t support smaller zones.
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  Unlock unused parking

  Recommendation

  Enable buildings with excess parking to rent spaces to other West End residents. To do this, we would:

  • Update zoning and by-laws
  • Explore ways to help building managers make sharing easier and address security (like with third-party apps and security audits)
  • Make sure parking in future development is designed to be shareable

  What changed?

  We clarified that ensuring building security is a high priority and that any program would be voluntary.

  Why we think this is a good idea

  It will free up space on the street and make better use of existing resources - Some buildings have 100 or more empty parking spaces, sometimes next to buildings where parking is nearly full. Allowing neighbours to use these unused spaces will free up space on the street. Measures can be put in place to minimize security issues (like adding security gates, or focusing on unused spaces in surface lots).

  Background

  • There are more residential spaces than cars in the neighbourhood (about 1.5 residential parking spaces for every car registered in the West End permit area).
  • Some buildings have over 100 unused parking spaces, sometimes next to buildings where parking is nearly full.
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  Improve parking enforcement

  Recommendations

  Improve parking enforcement with new technology like cameras on City vehicles that automatically scan licence plates.

  Why we think this is a good idea

  • It will make finding parking easier - Fewer cars will park illegally and there will be less demand for parking.
  • It makes it easier for people to drive less and own fewer cars - Bike- and car-sharing give people more transportation options.

  Background

  The West End has the lowest car ownership in Vancouver (about 50% of households have access to a private car).

  What we heard in fall 2015

  This is a new idea from people who filled out the survey.

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  Let visitors park in residential spaces when it's less busy

  Recommendation

  Allow visitors and service providers to park in residential spaces for a fee when it's less busy during off-peak periods.

  Why we think this is a good idea

  • It will make finding parking easier - Fewer cars will park illegally and there will be less demand for parking.
  • It makes it easier for people to drive less and own fewer cars - Bike- and car-sharing give people more transportation options.

  Background

  The West End has the lowest car ownership in Vancouver (about 50% of households have access to a private car).

  What we heard in fall 2015

  This is a new idea from people who filled out the survey.

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  Add parking meters to some visitor parking spaces

  Recommendation

  Meter some existing visitor parking. Offer lower rates and extended hours to visitors that residents verify.

  New pay stations have now been installed for some of the visitor parking spaces.

  Why we think this is a good idea

  It will help ensure some visitor spaces are always available - Metering spaces will increase turnover.

  Background

  Unmetered spaces are more likely to always be full. Metering parking encourages people to only use parking when they need it.

  What we heard in fall 2015

  There was a slight preference to metering some visitor spaces instead of metering all visitor spaces. This idea comes from the West End Community Plan.

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  Convert some residential parking to visitor parking

  Recommendation

  Convert some residential parking to visitor parking – after other actions reduce demand for on-street residential spaces.

  Why we think this is a good idea

  • It will help visitors find on-street parking faster.

  Background

  Parking is more difficult for visitors than for residents. There is very little on-street visitor parking in the West End – fewer than 2 spaces for every 100 households.

  As a result, it can take visitors about 10 minutes and almost 3 km of extra driving to find parking during busy periods.

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  Past updates

  September 1, 2017

  West End permit fees increased on September 1, 2017. Permit prices increased to the market rate of $360 per year. The non-market rate is available to residents who purchased their 2017 or 2018 permit before September 1, 2017, and low-income households. Learn more about the non-market rate.

  Any incremental increase in revenue from market rate permit sales will be re-invested in the West End to help deliver community-identified needs.​

  February 2017

  We revised our recommendations based on what we heard in Phase 2. Key updates included:

  • Reduce the proposed new permit rate from $50 to $30 each month. Let renewing permit holders keep existing rates.
  • Explain how residents can help decide how to spend new permit revenues.
  • Provide details on parking options for people with limited mobility.
  • Offer a reduced permit cost for low-income households to the West End.

  City Council approved the recommendations.

  • Review the Council report PDF file  (500 KB)
  • Review the meeting agenda
  • Watch the meeting video

  July – August 2016

  We created draft recommendations based on what we heard in Phase 1 and asked for your feedback at two open houses and in an online questionnaire.

  Review our Phase 2 Public Consultation Summary PDF file  (500 KB)

  November – December 2015

  We surveyed and engaged over 4,000 West End residents to:

  • Better understand parking issues
  • Test support for various tools that could improve parking
  • Share ideas

  Read our Phase 1 public consultation summary PDF file  (1.1 MB)