In a move designed to steer cars away from on-street parking and into city parkades, the city lowered the parkade rate to $2 from $2.25 an hour and made the first hour of parking free, as well as making parking in parkades free from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The changes took place Sept. 15, and city officials say they are working. In the first week following the changes, parkade use rose by 12 per cent, which meant 300 fewer cars parking on the street.
Downtown businesses are especially sensitive about parking. They depend upon a smooth flow of traffic and customers. It鈥檚 tough to compete with suburban malls, where parking is ostensibly free (you pay, though 鈥� it鈥檚 included in the tenants鈥� rent and passed onto the customers).
Victoria doesn鈥檛 have a major parking problem. With five city-owned parkades, four parking lots and 2,000 metered spaces, in addition to privately owned parkades and parking lots and parking provided by businesses, it鈥檚 seldom difficult to find a parking space within a few blocks of a chosen destination. Still, the changes are welcome, making better use of parkades and improving traffic flow on the streets.
Ken Kelly, general manager of the Downtown Victoria Business Association, says the changes are well received 鈥渁nd everyone has a smile on their face.鈥�
Constructive change doesn鈥檛 always have to come with major policy shifts. Sometimes it鈥檚 best just to tinker with what already works.
