THUNDER BAY — City businesses are calling for a change in recently-implemented parking rates after apparently being caught off guard.
The Waterfront District Business Improvement Area is leading the push to reduce the minimum parking rate of $2 per hour in the downtown cores.
Parking rate changes went into effect across the city on June 1, and include a two-dollar minimum at all on-street meters and in off-street metered lots with the exception of the Market Square lot in Marina Park, where the rate is $3/hr.
Waterfront BIA executive director Kara Pratt said Wednesday the business community was consulted in advance, but it wasn't clear that there would be no option for parking for less than an hour.
"It wasn't really transparent, I guess, that it's a $2 minimum charge and we would not have 15 minutes or half-hour parking options. So, I don't know if it was a miscommunication . . . I want to give the city the benefit of the doubt, and the consultant the benefit of the doubt. We hope it's something that was just overlooked."
Pratt explained that there was previously "a 15-minute grace period . . . and you could feed the meter slowly with like 25 cents. Now you have to continuously feed it until it gets to $2.00."
A petition organized by the Waterfront District BIA on Change.org has been signed by almost 700 people since May 31.
It asks city council to agree to shorter parking options in the downtown areas because the new minimum charge "disproportionately impacts small businesses and deters customers, driving more people where shorter, or free, parking periods are more accessible."
Pratt told TBnewswatch if this isn't done then "people would stop coming down here for a quick coffee on their way to work or on their way to a meeting, and they'd probably go to a larger place where they could go through a drive-through where they can, you know, not pay for parking. So we will be supporting larger corporations versus our small local businesses that support local endeavours."
The president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce has also weighed in on the issue, saying in a social media post she was surprised to learn about the one-hour minimum.
"I understand the need for parking charges . . . but an hour minimum charge for stopping in at the drugstore to get my prescription, to my favourite local retailer for a quick gift item, and to grab take-out for dinner . . . that's too much," Charla Robinson wrote.
She's asking those who agree shorter increments are needed to ensure parking charges are not an additional disincentive for shopping downtown to sign the petition.
At-large city council member Kasey Etreni said all councillors have heard the negative feedback about meter rate changes and the fact that parking is now enforced from 7 am to 9 pm, Monday to Saturday.
She said the criticism is coming both from businesses and from people living in the downtown areas.
Etreni plans to submit a resolution to council to address their concerns.
