Kudos to Victoria city staff for backing away from a plan to extend pay parking into the evenings on downtown streets. Having to plug the meter after 6 p.m. would not have attracted people to the downtown.
City staff have been working on a number of parking proposals and last month suggested charging $1 an hour for on-street parking between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., as well as boosting some parking rates to $3 an hour from $2.50.
The proposal to charge for evening on-street parking was dropped, but among the recommendations sent to councillors this week is a suggestion to offer free evening parking in the parkades.
Parking meters are intended to create turnover, creating more traffic for businesses, but the evening trade tends to be more leisurely, with people wanting to take their time dining or strolling about without worrying about plugging the meter or moving their cars.
Removing evening fees from parkades should also attract people to the downtown and will keep them there longer.
Parkades have a reputation as dark, dirty places, but the city has worked to make them more safe and inviting. More people using the parkades will help make them safer.
Staff recommendations include revenue estimates, lost and gained, for each proposal, but as Mayor Dean Fortin points out, the focus on evening parking in the downtown should be about making it safer and not just about city finances.
