Downtown groups plead for parking reprieve

The city is being urged to explore expanding paid parking beyond downtown before making any changes to the fees charged for city centre spaces.

“It is critical for the economic health of our city that we don’t discourage people from coming downtown (through parking fees),” said Kate Fenske, chief executive officer of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, during Thursday’s public works committee meeting.

The city is considering a five-year parking strategy that could eventually overhaul parking practices and prices.

Paid parking times could be extended into evening and/or weekend hours, prices could increase to ensure turnover in high-demand areas and new fees could be charged where parking is currently free, the strategy notes.

Fenske said the proposal suggests the addition of parking fees beyond downtown would not be implemented until 2029, if at all, while parking rates and hours downtown could change sooner.

“There should be no increase to paid parking of any kind downtown, whether it be rates, the time of day, the day of the week or otherwise, before the expansion to other areas has been explored and implemented, where needed,” she said.

Fenske also urged the city to consider new ways to support downtown businesses, such as by offering two hours of free parking on Fridays.

“It’s a great opportunity to encourage folks to visit downtown… on a day that some streets do feel like a ghost town because so many people are working from home,” she said.

The city should also commit to spending at least a portion of downtown parking revenue on improvements to the area, such as on beautification and streetscapes, she said.

The executive director of Exchange District BIZ called for the same benefit for his area.

David Pensato stressed the city must also consult affected businesses before implementing changes. He said the city failed to do so before extending parking time limits from to three hours from two hours on several blocks of the Exchange District in October.

He said that change conflicts with the long-standing city goal to ensure as much on-street parking turnover as possible.

“Some office workers are starting to figure out that if you pay for three hours of parking and then add another half hour (and move your car on your lunch break), it means that you can park on street all day,” said Pensato.

The city said the extra time was meant to make it easier for people to attend RRC Polytech classes or performances at the Manitoba Centennial Centre.

Pensato said parking charges currently create an unlevel playing field between businesses in the city centre and those located in other popular commercial areas that have free parking.

“It’s a very tough pill to swallow,” he said.

Council’s public works committee approved the parking strategy Thursday, which still requires city council to vote on it.

Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman, noted she expects public consultation to be completed before any changes take place.

Lukes (Waverley West) said she supports the idea of exploring new parking fees beyond the city’s core.

“We really need to focus on keeping our downtown lively… I think that would be a good approach,” she said.

She also likes the concept of devoting parking revenue to the area where it is generated from.

“To put parking metres in other places that haven’t had them, we’re going to have a bit of a carrot… I think it’s something we really need to look at,” said Lukes.

The councillor agreed it could prove challenging for the city to give up that revenue.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga