City to close parking loophole after losing $77K

City to close parking loophole after losing $77K

Free Sunday and holiday parking, which has been offered without being publicized since November at several city-owned lots and the Millennium Library Parkade, looks set to be eliminated soon.

A new city staff report calls for multiple amendments to the parking bylaw, including the removal of that free parking, pending council approval.

“This is (a) correction. It’s sort of a bylaw mistake right now and we’re taking a step to correct it… It’s not really industry standard to offer it free on Sundays,” said Dan Locke, a policy analyst with the Winnipeg Parking Authority, in an interview.

Locke said the parking has been offered free on Sundays and holidays ever since a bylaw error was discovered in November, which had unintentionally allowed free use of the city lots on those days.

It’s not clear how many Winnipeggers knew about the option, since the city didn’t alert the public to it. However, people who parked in those spots were not charged on the affected dates, said Locke.

“We weren’t accepting payment since November in those lots (at the affected times),” he said.

He said the issue has cost the city about $77,500 in lost revenue.

The report proposes to update the bylaw to let the city resume the waived parking fees at the parkade and six other city-owned lots, arguing the fees are warranted.

“Removing the exemption from paid parking at city-owned off-street lots and the Millennium Library Parkade will create a more level playing field for private-sector parking providers, reduce traffic congestion during special events and avoid lost parking revenue,” the report states.

Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said she supports the change.

“It was never intended to be free (parking). The city writes a tremendous number of bylaws that come out of the legal department. I can see how this happens. Is it desirable? No. But someone brought it to their attention… and they’re correcting it,” said Lukes.

The current parking bylaw was introduced in 2016.

The proposed changes also include: letting buses remain parked at a designated stop for more than one hour for special Winnipeg Transit programs; including virtual parking permits and digital applications as valid proof of payment and clarifying that certain vehicles with permits, such as accessible ones with ramps, can park facing against the flow of traffic.

Another amendment would expand Winnipeg Parking Authority’s ability to refuse to issue or renew parking permits for folks with repeated parking tickets.

Locke said the city can already deny any type of parking permit to registered vehicle owners with one or more unpaid parking tickets, with exceptions for fines awaiting an appeal. However, the change would also apply this rule to both a registered vehicle owner and any applicant seeking a parking permit for the same vehicle (since they may not be the same person), as well as other vehicles owned by the person with outstanding tickets.

“(It’s) to encourage prompt payment of fines… It’s not an uncommon practice to restrict access to services like that when there are unpaid fines,” said Locke.

Lukes said she supports expanding that penalty.

“We… need to adhere (to the rules.) If some are paying and some aren’t, that’s not right, so we’re just trying to enforce the rule,” she said.

Council’s public works committee is set to discuss the proposed amendments on June 8.

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Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga