CALGARY -- Two aldermen are calling for a new parking strategy following a study that says Calgarians are paying the most expensive rates in Canada.
Ald. Joe Connelly said it's about time the city put in a parking strategy to fix the problem that has beset financially challenged employees and businesses downtown.
"The high rate does bother me because it's manufactured, it's not natural," said Connelly. "I think it's gotten to the point that it's hurting us economically."
An annual global survey by Colliers International said Calgarians are paying the highest parking rates nationwide, and second only to New York in North America.
Calgarians pay an average of US$460 for monthly unreserved parking spaces, second to downtown New York's $500.
Colliers said parking costs have increased across Canada for a sixth consecutive year with monthly parking rates increasing by 9.9% -- or $20 -- above 2008 levels.
Ald. Gord Lowe said recently it's time to put together a parking strategy for the city, following several attempts by other aldermen to roll back parking rates.
The most recent of those attempts was by Ald. John Mar, who failed to get the 10 votes required to reconsider the annual budget on Monday.
Mar said he's not surprised Calgary has the most expensive parking rates in the country --that's why he tried to get it rolled back to 2008 levels.
"Calgary and Calgarians are facing an extremely high parking prices," said Mar.
One of the reasons other aldermen didn't support his bid was because Mar didn't say where the city will get replacement revenue.
Mar said that's an administrative issue and he'll revisit the matter as soon as there's an opportunity.
Connelly, who supported Mar's bid, said the motion wasn't fully thought out.
"That's something that we need to look at," he said. "I talk to people that operate downtown, they've got to pay their employes $500 a month for parking.
Calgary is followed in the survey by Toronto at $305, Montreal at $280, Edmonton at $275 and Vancouver at $224.
RENATO.GANDIA@SUNMEDIA.CA
