Lethbridge Parking Meter (Lethbridge News Now)

By Lara Fominoff

Potential Parking Rate Increase

City Council to consider increase in on-street parking rates and fines

Oct 21, 2019 | 6:15 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Community Issues Committee gave the go-ahead at Monday’s meeting (Oct. 21), for City Council to consider proposed increases to on-street city parking rates and fines at an upcoming November meeting. The proposal, delivered by Urban Revitalization Manager Andrew Malcolm and Transportation Manager Ahmed Ali would see the two- and three-hour rates go from $1.00 per hour, to $1.10 per hour, while the 10-hour parking rates would go from $.45 to $.50 per hour.

Fines, if approved, could go from $25 for those paid after 7-days, to $40, while paying early would mean the fine would be $20 rather than the current $10. Malcolm understands that some organizations, businesses and patrons won’t react favourably to the potential increases.

“The general public would hear ‘increase’ downtown and they may be deterred. We have discussed with the downtown business district, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and others, especially those on the Heart of Our City, and we’re cognizant of the concern of the businesses, which is why we have taken the absolute most minimal approach to the increases that we could in terms of a five and ten cents increase.”

Regarding the increase in fines – he says those occur when people don’t follow the rules in place.

“Currently, people anecdotally are not following that all of the time, and we would like to see that rate increase a little bit. And so, we’re comfortable in recommending that we follow suit like the college and the university in terms of increasing that ticket amount.”

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The money from any potential parking rate increase would go into a parking reserve for future system and infrastructure upgrades and maintenance. Currently, according to City Treasurer Hailey Pinksen, there’s about $2 million in that reserve.

“All costs go up with inflation,” explained Malcolm. “We managed to get some operational efficiencies through the new parking meters. However, over time we will see costs continue to go up with inflation. We need to be proactive, so that in four or five- whatever- 10 years, we don’t have a reserve issue in terms of where we are having to be worried about how we are paying for parking operations.”

Councillor Belinda Crowson also pointed out during the presentation that City Council did not have to necessarily implement both initiatives, but rather could vote to increase either the fines, the parking rates or both. Or, they could also vote down the proposals altogether- something Malcolm acknowledged is possible as well.

“They’re both separate amendments within the traffic bylaw…Council has a decision to accept both of our recommendations… or neither or one or the other. It’s completely up to Council.”

The CIC voted 7-2 to receive the presentation as information and to forward it to council. Both Councillors Blaine Hyggen and Joe Mauro voted against receiving the information and forwarding it to council for consideration. Mauro told the committee it was not something he thought should even be put in front of them in November.

If the increases are approved, they would go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. There would be subsequent parking rate increases in 2024, and 2028.