This week Mayor O'Brien and Councillors Wilkinson, Cullen, Bloess, McRae, & Thompson voted in favour to increase parking meter rates. The decision is to go to $3/hr on Mar. 1 & $3.25/hr on Oct. 1. The only compensation was given to not charge on Sundays & to charge until 7 instead of 9 pm on weekdays and Saturdays. This item goes to Council on Feb. 13.If REVENUE is derived from meters it should be directed to IMPROVING the supply of off street parking in areas that need it.
50 comments:
I agree - parking policy is not revenue policy - parking is a service to business and patrons - not an indirect tax grab for other general municipal services.
I totally concur that the parking policy to propose the revocation of free parking on evenings and weekends is extremely short-sighted.Thank goodness I do not own a downtown business. Ottawa city councillors should focus on more cost efficieny in the running of City Services. For a starter, they should push the case for the abolishment of the Municipal Property Association of Ontario (MPAC).Ottawa's share of the annual budget for this swollen bureaucracy is some $15 Million/annum. This is the sum Ottawa pays to have up to 200 items of data acquired by MPAC on each and every property in the City, data which is apparently verified on an annual basis.This is a complete waste of resources. Once the market value of a proprty has been determined at a given point in time, future taxes on this property can be readily established and related directly to annual changes in the budgets being funded by the taxes. There is absolutely no need to spend the huge amounts of money that MPAC uses to determine Current Market Values on an annual basis.
Increased revenue from this new parking policy proves there is total mismanagement of municiple funding.
This will not bring in enough revenue as it will drive people out of the effected area , so what will they do then?
It has to stop now before it starts. FIND a better way to pay for services NOW instead of
this badly thought-out plan that will kill GOOSE.
This new parking policy is a sign of a very unsuccessful revenue resource search. If the city has a shortfall , which it seems to have ,it is very wrong headed to hurt such a small area so hard.
I encourage the City to think of better and more equitable ways to resolve their financial troubles.
This city does not deserve this kind of pounding.
It's not just affecting business but residents alike as we don't have place for ourselves to do our errands, or for guests to park for a few minutes/hours without having to pay. With the amount of taxes we pay to live in the core we should have a bit of parking that's affordable - it may not be the suburbs but we still have to live a normal life downtown and do our business in the neighboods we live in...
This is over the top. There is one taxpayer, regardless of the level of government that is trying to bleed us dry, and my pockets are empty. This council has repeatedly demonstrated its incompetence - we all know the details. This will have an impact not only on businesses but residents. My mother is 74 and lives downtown. I will now have to pay to visit her on weekends and evenings as the result of another city cash grab. My property taxes will be increasing, thanks to the zero means nearly five per cent, and now I get to pay for the priviledge of visiting my own mother.
I've been wondering this week whether our council members pay for premium downtown parking at city hall, or whether they enjoy free parking as yet another taxpayer-funded perk (in addition to free meals for business extended to 7 pm.) Let them either pay for parking as the majority of residents who work or have business downtown do, or TAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT as they want the rest of us to do. Perhaps then they'd have half a clue about a transit plan that wouldn't embarrass us. Enough is definitely enough!
As a resident of the Byward Market I strongly appose the increase in parking rates and in particular the extension of paid parking times. The City should be finding ways to energize and revitalize Downtown and Market areas and should not be taking actions which will have the opposite effect. This is a very short sighted and ill considered decision.
I agree with everything that is written above. I am strongly opposed. I think a cost benefit analysis with all factors taken into account would be revenue negative. Businesses create revenue. Let's help them to flourish, not make life tougher especially with an expected economic downturn expected.
I support Larry O'Brien, and many City Councillors on many issues, but when it comes to rasing the rates for Meter Parking, we disagree - BIGTIME.
When I go to shop for a product, or service, I look at all the costs that make up getting that product to where I need it. It includes the cost of the product, cost of gas to go get it, parking while I go in to pick it up, my time, the risk to my vehicle, and my own personal safety. Because rent, and property taxes are so high in the downtown area, merchants must already charge more for their products than their counterparts in the suburbs. It takes more gas to get there from the suburbs, and it definitely takes more time due to traffic congestion. I've had my car broken into in a city lot in the market, and lost a laptop computer, so I know all about the risks. Add to that the number of itinerants, irritants, junkies, drug dealers, and panhandlers who frequent that area, and you can see why no one really wants to go there.
Now we have another irritant, and one that is more than minor, round the clock parking charges. Yesterday I was downtown for business purposes, and I fired in $8.00 for 2 hours at a meter. It should have been $6.00 but the meter gobbled the first toonie and said thanks but I got no time for you. Wanna know who eventually pays that cost? Yup, the Customer. It just gets added to the bill in some way or another.
In the past year, I've pretty much restricted my visits downtown to business and restaurant visits. I wouldn't have even done that except that evening parking was free at the meters when I went there. Well, that's off the agenda now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this because of anger, it's just personal business. I have better ways to make my money work for me than to feed meters. Also, you cannot get anything done in 2 hours down there in the market area, so it isn't just the cost of the parking, it's the cost of a parking ticket, and the irritant of having to move your car every 2 hours. Just in case you don't know it, once your two hours are up, you can't just feed the meter more, you have to physically move your vehicle, or you get a ticket.
Instead of The Rideau Centre, The Keg, Rockin Johnny's, or some such place, it's now RioCan Mall, Innes Road strip, Bayshore, St. Laurent S.C., Outback, Montanas, or Kelseys, places that have the Open Range for unlimited parking at NO CHARGE!
I fear for the health of businesses in the Market area. Most of them were clinging to life rafts as it is. This new parking regime is a tidal wave of hurt for most of them. I have one thing to say to them. Say bye bye to the market, and come out here to Barrhaven(or Orleans) where we will welcome you with open arms. We have great big fields of parking, at no charge, with lower taxes, lower rents, and droves of folks who would happily use your services.
And yes, as your article in todays paper says, the parking charges are just another name for TAX INCREASE, and lets all remember that the mayor has but one vote. We got shafted by almost all the Councillors too. We should hold all of them responsible. You know, next election, I'd vote for any new fresh face, just to see if we could make this city run better on some new gas, instead of the old stinky gas we have in there now. I mean, we couldn't do much worse could we.
I am totally fed up with Ottawa. We have lived here for almost 30 years. Retirement is only a year off and when we retire, we're out of this city. Both my husband and I have good retirement pensions, but our property taxes are so high I don't know that we can afford the monthly payments. Now we have increased bus fares, increased parking fares and who knows what else! Our transit system is horrible. This city is becoming less appealing to live in by the day!
I totally agree that the city's parking policy to raise parking rates and to revoke free parking on evenings and on weekends is extremely short sighted. I fear that this policy will have a devastating effect on our downtown. The health of the City of Ottawa as a whole is dependent on the vitality of the downtown.
I've signed the petition and wrote my councillor and the mayor on my disapproval of the parking increase, extended hours and revoking free parking on evenings and weekends.
Who are the councillors who voted against these changes? Their names are not listed and people should know which of our municiple politicians are "not cash grabbers" in this proposed change. Let's give some credit where credit is due.
Kevin Sullivan...Ottawa
Neither new parking rates nor extended hours should be implemented until there is a city-wide policy in effect. This is only the latest blunder of an ineffective and dysfunctional Ottawa city council. The mayor does not understand the concept of political leadership, and there is none (NOT ONE) on council who seems capable even of sitting in his chair. I fear serious financial implications for the city of Ottawa (and I am not referring merely to the budget) if this ineptitude continues.
I am strongly opposed to the parking increases (both rate increases and extended paid parking times) and urge Council to reverse or at minimum defer this until a better plan with more public input can be developed. I am honestly appalled by this transparent cash grab, and am even more annoyed because of how Council continues to make a mess out of public transit plans. There was a quote from I believe a city Councillor that if people choose to drive they should pay the price. Well perhaps Council should provide people a good alternative first! How's this... defer this decision until a better public transit system is operational. This decision is one more indication of how the City doesn't seem to care how difficult and costly they make things for residents and visitors. And I completely fair to understand why it costs 45 cents to collect $1 of parking revenue.
The city coucil should be doing more to promote downtown instead of this cash grab. Travel any euopean city and see what a real downtown atmosphere seems like and then visit downtown Ottawa after five o'clock and see the difference.
It's not too late to start promoting downtown. Council get with it and forget this motion.
This increase does not make sense at all. The merchants who have businesses downtown will go bankrupt because nobody will pay that increase. We will go shopping in the shopping Centres where parking is free. Also, it is very bad business for our tourists.
We should have a say in that vote.
Crazy....look at prices in Madrid, Spain.
Car Parking Madrid: Zones And Metres:
90 cents for up to 30 minutes
From 31 to 120 minutes: 0.15 euro
From 121 to 720 minutes: 0.20 euro
I live downtown and enjoy the vibrancy of a active downtown core. It makes the place fun, interesting and, most of all, safe, especially compared to some of the deserted or rundown cores of many American cities. But I foresee a time when people won't bother coming in for Winterlude, the Tulip or other festivals, to cheer on runners in the National Capital Marathon, or to celebrate along "Sens Mile," simply because it is too difficult to find a space to park, especially for a stay of several hours.
This would be a gigantic loss for everyone. Our streets would no longer be safe, property values would decline and Ottawa would lose all that makes it so special. City Council must urgently reconsider this short-sighted decision.
I belong to one of the Running Room Slater Street groups that meets 2 or 3 times per week.
It will affect our group significantly – every evening and weekend we will now have to pay for parking, whereas it used to be free. For example, if we come downtown 1 evening (2 hours) and Sunday morning (3 hours), this will cost $15.00 / week (assuming $3.00 / hour). At 50 weeks per year, this is $750 per person!
This will undoubtedly mean many of our group will no longer make the trip downtown, and in its extreme, could mean the end of our group.
Then consider that we leave a couple of hundred dollars a week at out favourite Bridgehead and Second Cup coffee shops - what happens to those businesses when that revenue disappears?
How ironic that our group of more than 20 athletes could be torn apart by this ridiculous motion by City Council. Stop it NOW!
This "tax" is an extremely short-sighted knee-jerk reaction by rural and suburban councillors who obviously never play or stay downtown. When groups who meet downtown "fold" and the coffee shops that they might typically patronize go under, what happens to our city then?
BobGreen said...
What is the vision of the Mayor and councillors for our city. Do they envision one where if you go to a down town church, visit someone downtonwn or attned the Jazz Festival or Chamber Music Festival you have to have enough money to now feed the meters; and, you have to leave your church service or event you are attneding or person you are visiting to "feed the meter.
Surely our City is more than that!!!
I'm clearly the odd man out here but someone needs to be :-)
I don't mind the increase. If the market bears it, then what's the big deal? If the market won't support it, then Council will likely reconsider. Some people may be turned off by the cost, but others may find it appealing because it will be easier to find a parking spot. Who knows what the outcome is going to be until some statistics are generated? No sense in getting hysterical before then.
With this policy perhaps more people will consider public transportation as an alternative, which would be a good thing.
Let's give it a try and see what happens.
Hello Councillor
I want to add my voice to those in opposition to the extended hours for parking meters that you and other council members voted in. This is a shortsighted money grab that will deter shoppers, tourists, church members and new business owners from setting foot in the downtown area. Instead of developing and encouraging the vibrant downtown activities that presently exists on evenings and weekends, you will be creating a wasteland. I'm old enough to remember when the entire downtown district shut down after 6:00. We've come along way toward making Ottawa a dynamic exciting place for international tourists and local residents alike. Towns like Brockville and Perth actually offer FREE street parking because they are proud of their downtown core and want to encourage businesses and activities in the area . What does Ottawa do? They raise the fares and extend the hours to wipe out any free parking. What message does that send out about our civic pride in the nation's capital city? You guys made a mistake on this one. There is still time to make it right and vote down this turkey.
Cheers
Hiking parking rates isn't going to solve any problems in this city - and could very well make things worse...Wake up and smell the coffee
Increase the parking fees. Extend the paying hours ... extend the paying boundaries ... target those who might actually spend more time in the downtown core ... send the Green Hornets after them. This is all a recipe for the final death of the downtown area. Let's send a message to all visitors to the City, "Sorry, but if you want to disport yourselves in downtown Ottawa, the dollars you leave behind in our restaurants, hotels, shopping areas and cultural venues are simply not enough - you must be willing to pay through the nose for parking your vehicles." The new "parking initiatives" are a means of dealing the final death blow to downtown prosperity and development. I'm not a merchant, but all the same, I'm plenty upset, and dismayed by this strange and ill-advised decision. As a citizen, I lament the myopia of the current municipal government, and I am ashamed of, and perturbed by the decisions that are being made "on my behalf."
I have to agree with all the comments made on this site. This will harm small business owners that are already struggling because of high rent in the downtown area.
Somebody in the same situation, not sitting at a city desk needs to spend time studying and listening to these people.
I am one of these small business owners and I am getting nothing but complaints about this increase. 20% is a lot and evenings and Sundays are unacceptable.
The issue of Parking Meter rates has been in the newspaper a few times in the past couple of weeks.
I find it quite surprising that Municipal politicians haven’t learned from the mistakes of others and that they want to continue making the same mistakes.
During the 50s and 60s the City of Sudbury had a vibrant down town core with many local shops and restaurants of all kinds. Then the City politicians in their wisdom decided they would raise the Parking meter rates by an exorbitant amount. Well guess what? The ratepayers said we’re not paying exorbitant parking meter rates in the down town, when we can park for free at the local shopping centre. Have any of you seen the down town core of Sudbury lately? Well it is now a shell of what it was 40 years ago – in spite of the fact that the overall population of Sudbury is greater now than what it was back then.
If you want to proceed with devastating the Ottawa Down Town core, by all means raise Parking meter rates to an exorbitant amount, but be prepared for an increase in the number of local businesses closing down.
Keith Anderson
I thing that the sommerset-bank street building and closing bank street for almost two monthes ,and the way the city handled it (realy bad)hit our business hard and i don't know about next summer ,the constraction on bank street that is going to destroy the business so need a break .we are not responsible for the money wasted by the city ,in regard the closure of bank street (police,engineers etc )so this is an idea to collect the money back .
Once again our politicians have shown their ineptitude by voting to no longer allow free parking on weekends and evenings in the downtown core. It would seem that little thought went into their decision to vote in favour of this increased cost. Few of us suburbanites will bother to drive in to the City to enjoy an evening downtown and pay to park with all the good restaurants and free parking in the suburbs. Please keep a vibrant downtown in Ottawa.
This program is an embarrasment to the intelligence of the citizens of Ottawa! Running a business in the downtown core is going to be interesting when our staff is going to have to run out and plug meters for themselves and the guests they are serving! As it was stated by the Mayor, That this will really increase business for the downtown core, what cut do we get then?
There is an acronym for this rate hike and the rest of the faux pas like the Light Rail contract: BOHICA
It stands for "Bend Over Here It Comes Again."
Before they increase the parking rates they might want to clean the streets so that it is possible for us to park in front of a meter.
I think the incidents of green hornets getting the tar beat out of them will increase.
A big Boo-Urns to Daddy Warbucks O'Brien
I'd like to echo the above words of Keith Anderson. Downtown Sudbury is an embarassment to the city. Stores are constantly closing down and new shops that open up don't last for long. Considering the free or cheaper parking available elsewhere, the increases will surely have an impact on business downtown.
This is completely short sighted and ridiculous. This will stiffle economice development in Ottawa's downtown core. Business will shut down, offsetting the increased tax revenue from parking. Urban sprawl will spread, reduced density will lead to less efficient public transportation, thus more pollution and cost to taxpayers. Tourism will suffer, as Ottawa will become even more of a "ghost town" than it currently is. When will this council start looking at long term implications of their decisions instead of simply the short term.
This is completely short sighted and ridiculous. This will stiffle economice development in Ottawa's downtown core. Business will shut down, offsetting the increased tax revenue from parking. Urban sprawl will spread, reduced density will lead to less efficient public transportation, thus more pollution and cost to taxpayers. Tourism will suffer, as Ottawa will become even more of a "ghost town" than it currently is. When will this council start looking at long term implications of their decisions instead of simply the short term.
No way - we won't pay!
First of all, the city is not interested in the revenue to be gained from parking meters - they want the revenue from parking tickets. This is merely a way to increase the amount of $30 tickets they can hand out. Secondly, what about the people who work in the market? How am I going to pay for parking when I am busy serving people supper? If street parking rates are increased and the hours extended, that means that the parking garages (which I don't like using anyway) will drastically increase their rates as well. Business associations take note: If your employees can't afford to park, they're going to find another job.
First of all let me just say how stupid this decision is! Obviously the council din't even consider any of the suggestion made on this site, BUT ALSO, din't even consider the affect it would have on tenants! Its one thing to have businesses suffer, downtown suffer, tourism decrease..so on and so forth, but what about the people who actually live there!!! Did you ever even consider us? Most downtown buildings don't necessarily have room for all their tenants to have parking; some have none, some have street parking, and some only provide one parking spot per apartment. I guess people forgot about spouses! With this parking increase, I'm looking at paying PER HOUR to park outside MY HOUSE everyday? ARE YOU CRAZY? How is someone supposed to move there car every hour and feed the meter to park outside their house? there's no way! When my spouses gets home everynight and parks in the street he will now be forced to pay. We're talking a thousand dollars a year if not more here! At this rate, no family members will come to visit, no friends either! No one will ever travel to downtown anymore!! there will be no point and no worth in making the trip and paying the fees. Heck with all the money i'll end up paying I might as well move and buy a house will all the money i would be paying if i stayed downtown and fed the meters!
As for the guy who posted that this would be a great way to make use of public transportation...i don't think so. 'Great for the people traveling TO downtown and can take the bus. And for those of us living downtown? no answer? thats what i thought. This affects our lives and social lives completely now...not to mention all the businesses that will be affected, the tourism that will decrease. What about this so-called reputation ottawa has of having a "beautiful downtown area and great tourist attractions" ? Sounds great! Now when the tourists come they can buy from all the non-existent merchants and stores and get there by being crowded on a city bus with five thousand other people still trying to make it downtown.
If the council was not able to see all these points and take back their decision, then maybe they aren't fit to be in the council in the first place. I say let them try their "parking meter"-disguised tax scam and deal with the consequences once the downtown, along with everything else affected, diminishes!!! Let them clean up the mess. As if they thought we wouldn't notice this was ACTUALLY a tax grab! HA! And so it starts...first this, next? god knows what else.
Hopefully we can vote for some new council that make sense.
p.s. Heck, with the council making idiotic decisions like this, trying to pull the wool over eyes and running our city's best asset into the ground we might as well call ourselves the U.S.
thank you.
The City of Ottawa currently subsidizes drivers and business owners by offering 'free' parking - as such I agree with City Council that we should be removing this subsidy and add meters and raise parking rates at City owned meters.
The 'free' parking is currently supported by property taxes collected from everyone living in Ottawa, whether they use the parking or not - and derive any benefit at all from the parking. It can be argued that it is, in fact, a regressive tax because people least likely to use the 'free' parking are the people most affected by increasing property taxes - paid personally or as a component of their rent - as a percentage of income.
There is some flawed logic at work here in the comments section as well - a lack of 'free' parking does not preclude customers from visiting a store or parishioners from attending church. If a grocery store stopped providing 'free' parking would everyone starve to death? No, they would find other means of getting there, assuming that the increased cost were enough to deter them from driving in the first place. This whole discussion is a knee-jerk reaction based in emotion rather than fact and the facts support an increase in parking fees, hours, and scope to help Ottawa develop a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable community.
I think the city should reconceder the plan to charge parking on the weekend and til 9 during the week. The downtown core is going to suffer if this plan is set into motion.
Frankly, my dear, you’re just too damn expensive!
Farewell, downtown Ottawa. It was fun but now its over. I am dumping you for a lower maintenance suitor. Frankly, my dear, you’re just too damn expensive!
I loved those evening movies followed by a stroll in front of the Peace Tower. I truly enjoyed the wonderful restaurants in the Market and along Elgin Street. The summer festivals were a blast. Shopping at the Rideau Centre was pretty good, too. But now your parking fees are too high (and going higher) and your public transit is slow and smelly. I pay more in property taxes, more in provincial taxes and now you are going to scam me for evening and weekend parking. Adieu, avarice!
I am expanding my horizons and setting out on a new adventure. I will be exploring the dinner theatres, bistros, galleries, unique shops and yes, even the chip wagons of the towns and villages of the Ottawa, Gatineau and St. Lawrence river valleys. The extra gas I use will still cost less than your usurious parking fees. Who knows what delights await in old stone buildings, marinas and museums surrounded by hectares of free parking. And there is plenty of shopping in suburbia in the same chain stores that are languishing downtown. Ditto for movie multiplex theatres where the parking is free even during the week.
So, Mayor Larry O (or, is that zero?) you can enjoy your much-less-busy downtown where welfare queens, crack heads and graffiti goons run free. After all, there will be much more room for the tourists. Oh, that’s right, they’re not coming in large number either. Pity.
We like to go downtown and normally plan to go on weekends and odd evenings since parking is either free and/or lower at the parkades. By revoking the free parking during evening and weekends will only give us one more reason to avoid the already expensive downtown core all together. I don't think this is good business nor good community sense.
SHOULD WE BE POLITE AND SAY BIG TIME MISMANAGEMENT OF FINANCE OR ...
Dear Mayor 0 and Council Team,
Money, Money, Money is all u are able to think of. The more money u take the more services u take AWAY from the people of the City of Ottawa... It's all u can do???
You have been elected to do a job by fully and truly respecting the people of the City of Ottawa, and not only with respect but also with HONESTY. It is high time u STOP taking away..., it is time that u start properly representing the people of the City of Ottawa and it's visitors.
Taxpayers, the people of the City of Ottawa, do NOT receive salary increases nowhere near all of the increases which we are subject to in one given year. We could list thousands of items/things that continuously goes up in cost each and every year. It is time to stop, why, because an increase of one item/thing has a MAJOR negative impact which makes many other items/things go up in prices, which is called a CHAIN reaction, a MAJOR NEGATIVE chain reaction.
This mismanagement of finance equals incompetency which equals dollar increase for each and every taxpayer, and also equals short and long term NEGATIVE effect/impact in every way u look at the picture.
Sprinklers, what bright and geneous idea to have sprinklers in residential houses... where in this world did u come up with this idea thinking that u can fully justify, and more so, impose on the population of Ottawa... again more money to take away from the taxpayers, another big time negative chain reaction in many ways.
Can u confirm to the people of the City of Ottawa what are we looking at as a tax increase when u combine each and every thing/item u wish to increase or have increased since the beginning of 2008... are u capable to provide a true and honest complete picture.
I live in Ward 21 but have a business in the downtown core. We have been in business on Elgin and now Sparks Street for 45 years and have been struggling for that long to have more spaces and more affordable parking in the area. It is hard to compete with the large box stores and shopping centers that have free parking. I do believe that the vitality of Ottawa would suffer if businesses in the downtown core started closing at a greater rate due to the lack and expense of parking. The amount of income derived from the proposed parking changes would soon be overshadowed by the enormous cost of trying to revitalize the downtown core. It seems to me that the businesses downtown will be paying the price for a political promise not to raise taxes. It should be the entire city of Ottawa that contributes to the needs of the city. Please do the right thing for our city and vote against these drastic changes.
Could it be that the council must nickel and dime us all because of the lawsuit over light rail that is going to cost millions when all is said and done? Just wait until it's tourist season and they start getting ticketed at all hours. They'll tell two friends...
A world class city that swaggers, Mr.O'Brien? So far from the truth. So much potential and not enough politicians with insight to get there. Private companies are doing their part to bring people to the core- building wonderful places to live and opening up interesting and useful retail/restaurants, but what does the city do? Discourage the whole plan with this parking increase. I have a suggestion to our city officials....consult with others who have been successful at your jobs.
If you can afford to drive, you have to be prepared for, and assume the responsibilities of paying for, parking, gas, insurance, etc. These are all cost associated with driving. You chose to drive, deal with them. What's wrong with the prublic transport system? Particulalry since there is very direct service to both the downtown core and to college and university campuses. Also, park-and-ride destinations are available if you aren't located near a bus stop. You can drive there, and then hope on a bus!In terms of traffic congestion , and not to mention the environment, this increase in the cost of parking might discourage people from driving to places that are accessible via public transportation, and thus keep more cars off the road. Who knows, this may even be one of the intentions of city council...
All in all, I just have to say, do us all a favour, stop complaining and take a bus! For students especially, a bus pass will cost much less that parking and fuel costs would ever amount to over a period of a month.
I find it interesting that L Bush and at least one other poster seem to feel that free on-street downtown parking is a subsidy while in their residential suburban or urban neighbourhoods it's not. Remember, people live downtown as well, folks. If it's fair for our visitors to have to feed a meter during day and evenings on weekdays, and soon on Saturdays, then why shouldn't the same rules apply to everyone?
This is the first time I have been mad enough to voice my concerns about such a move - I thought reason would prevail after the first outcry.
I've lived in Ottawa - mostly in the west-end - for thirty years and never cease to be amazed by the attitude of Ottawa towards cars. After a century of their use you would think they would realise they aren't going away and they should be provided for.
Some councillors seem to believe this outcry is temporary and will die down. Maybe it will, but the effect will last. Its not an elastic market - at some point we will say enough. For example:
About fifteen years ago I got fed up with getting $75 tickets for a two minute stop to deliver courier packets to businesses downtown after 3.30. As a result our company started a policy of not doing business with anyone East of Bronson.
After getting a $125 ticket for overstaying my meter two minutes to run a library book into the Algonquin College library I've never been back since (Would have been cheaper to buy the book)
A couple of years ago we stopped on an impulse for brunch on a Saturday morning in the Glebe - totally unaware meters worked there on Saturdays. The result - another $75 fine - and we've never been back to the Glebe again. We used to love going there, but we can get everything we need elsewhere now.
Am I really going to pay $4 - $8 to go for a casual shop at the weekend or stop for a coffee? NO - of course not! Do these councillors think we are going to go on taking it forever before we say enough?
Why don't you organise a march on city hall to really let them see how we feel?
It's funny - we were alerted recently to the parking issue in Ottawa and think we may be able to help. We've just launched a service at www.parkingspots.com that's designed tohelp people find more affordable parking in their cities. check us out!
An increase in parking rates will stink - but I really don't believe that it will have a significant impact on downtown business. I live in the suburbs - Beacon Hill - and I do most of my shopping at the suburban box and gorcery stores, simply because they are closer to my home. Even if parking were free, I would still not go downtown to buy something that I could acquire closer to home. I go downtown to shop only for those items not available to me in suburbs - specialty goods and grocery items. I also make good use of the interesting restaurants and downtown atmosphere that are simply not present in the suburbs. An increase in parking rates will not deter me from doing so. In fact, if some people will not be parking downtown as a result of this change, I will be more likely to do so, since it is presently difficult to negotiate the traffic and find a parking spot in such areas as Bank street. My only concern lies with the two hour limit - this should be increased or removed for evening, as it is unreasonable to expect people to interrupt their restaurant meal to plug the meter.
It will, of course, stink most for those who live downtown and I sympathize fully with the issue of resident parking, but I really doubt that downtown residents will now all drive out to the suburbs to find free parking, any more than they presently do.
As for tourism - people spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to come here and see the downtown core - I really don't thing a couple more bucks in parking fees are going to deter them, if in fact they operate a vehicle downtown, which many of them don't.
Also - as concerns the comment about making our downtown core as appealing for night life as those in European cities. There is a significant cultural difference between Europeans (who concentrate on lifestyle) and North Americans (who are all about Protestant work ethic) that creates the contrast in night life (plus the fact that no one in Europe has air conditioning and the unbearable heat and humidity drives them out of their apartments). Nothing we do to our downtown core, parking or otherwise, is going to change that.
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