Big parking decisions in store for Edmonton city council in the new year

Given Edmonton's significant growth and the current tight fiscal environment, the city is debating how to best manage where Edmontonians can park and how much they should pay.

In the final days of budget deliberations earlier this month, councillors discussed the different ways parking revenue can and should be used and the implications of the city paying to maintain lots and curbs at no charge.

One of those discussions centred around a paid city lot near the Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market. The money from the lot was set to be allocated to a reserve for improving the area, but council narrowly voted to put the money into general revenue instead.

Several councillors agreed that the concept needs to be discussed in a wider context to develop a city-wide strategy for parking revenue.

Parking benefit districts

Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz said he wants to see more of this idea: paid parking lots where the revenue is dedicated to improving the area or facilities. He said these parking benefit districts exist in other cities and national parks.

Janz cites the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Fort Edmonton Park and recreation centres as areas the city could explore charging for parking.

“In many places around the city, we don't even have a nominal charge,” Janz said in an interview with CBC News.

He said the city is putting money into maintaining lots but not making it back, creating a financial gap. Janz said it also creates a system where people can leave their car parked all day.

“Parking should be available and parking should be accessible, but parking should also have some sort of a price attached to it or else it gets abused.”

He said charging for parking can incentivize carpooling, taking transit, or encourage people to hustle and move their vehicle in a timely manner.

Janz asserts that people are more amenable to paid parking when they know it will go into improving an area.

Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford sees things differently.

In the northwest part of the city she represents, she doesn't see much willingness or desire to introduce paid lots.

“We don't want to put any barriers up that would stop people from coming and using the amenities on the north side.”

Rutherford added that not all areas have reliable public transportation, and bringing in paid parking to city facilities might “ding them for the only choice they have.”

“I have some real equity problems with that.”

She said it also goes against a city policy: council shouldn’t create and reserve funds that only benefit one area of the city.

But in the current fiscal environment, Rutherford agrees more paid parking warrants a conversation, though her preference would be for revenue to go into general funds.

Residential parking permits

Residential parking changes that were put on ice in 2024 will also be up for debate again.

The previous proposal included introducing a $120 annual fee for neighbourhoods where a permit is required to park on the street — and removing the restrictions entirely from other areas of the city.

At the time, councillors flagged that the plan felt rushed and more consultation was needed. Administration will be bringing new recommendations and community feedback back in the spring.

“Many people do not park in their own garage or park in their own driveway. They choose to park on the street. But if everybody chooses to park on the street, you run out of street parking,” Janz said.

“The cost of a residential parking stall is quite expensive. When you look at 26 bucks to fill a pothole, when you look at the sweeping, when you look at snow removal, it adds up.”

Rutherford said part of curbside management might also be eliminating parking from one side of the street to help with congestion in neighbourhoods that are seeing it.

Parking minimums

Rutherford said she is also bringing forward a motion to discuss parking minimums — the idea that a development should have a minimum number of private parking stalls available.

It was phased out in anticipation of the zoning renewal process to give more flexibility to developers and homeowners.

While Rutherford doesn’t think that parking minimums should be put back into zoning rules, she said there may be circumstances where parking minimums should be considered, such as areas outside of reliable and frequent transit service.