Rate hikes needed to sustain Hamilton’s parking system: staff
The city hopes to help coax more Hamilton residents out of their cars and into other modes of transportation through steeper parking rates over the next decade.
The latest parking master plan also aims to encourage a greater turnover of on-street spots by setting meters higher than prices for lots.
As well, the blueprint commits to evaluating the potential elimination of free weekend parking throughout the city - all with an overarching eye on financial sustainability.
So essentially, this keeps us sustainable, it keeps the reserve healthy, and it allows for the improvements to the system that the public needs," Amanda McIlveen, manager of parking operations and new initiatives, told councillors Tuesday.
The planning committee considered four scenarios for the master plan, ranging from the status quo" to modest rate increases" through 2030.
The recommended approach calls for hikes of roughly four per cent a year - which is two per cent above projected inflation - to take the current hourly on-street parking rates of $2 to about $3 by 2030. The cost of a monthly permit would rise to $128 from $85 today.
I think this was a prudent exercise," Coun. Jason Farr, who represents the core, said after staff presented a suite of recommendations detailed in a study by consultant IBI Group.
Demand for parking is expected to increase with Hamilton's population forecast to grow by 120,000 by 2030. But surface parking lots are giving way to development and other uses, such as parks, as the downtown becomes denser.
There are roughly 8,600 parking spaces in downtown Hamilton split between on- and off-street spaces. In 2019, the city's parking system generated about $14.7 million in revenues and had roughly $12.2 million in expenses.
Pre-pandemic surveys conducted for the master plan showed the downtown supply is generally adequate to meet current demands," notes the consultant's study.
On weekdays, about 80 per cent of the supply is occupied, with about 1,700 spaces free, but many lots are frequently full by noon.
In summary, while there is generally adequate capacity to meet demand overall, the downtown experiences periods of acute shortages in key locations during peak periods, as well as periods of oversupply that result in inefficient land use."
One fix could be performance and dynamic" pricing, which would see higher rates to park in areas in greater demand and lower ones to drive traffic to less popular locations.
This strategy could also apply during special events, such as film shoots or construction, to give the city the flexibility to distribute demand and maintain efficient operations."
This year, 20 electric-vehicle charging stations will be added to municipal lots, but significantly more" are needed as the market shifts away from gasoline-powered cars.
Hamilton also needs to create more spots for cyclists to leave their bikes and spaces for e-scooters, the plan notes.
As asphalt parking lots become the sites of affordable housing, condo buildings and parks, the downtown parking supply is becoming squeezed, McIlveen said.
The city hopes to strike partnerships to secure public access to spots in private developments and other options, such as underutilized church parking lots.
The municipal system stands to lose about 900 spaces when the York Boulevard parking garage and nearby Vine Street lot are sold to a consortium planning to redevelop the properties as part of a revamp of the city's downtown entertainment venues.
McIlveen said staff have already met with representatives of the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG) to discuss replenishing a portion of that supply.
Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com