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Should there be paid parking at Spanish Banks Beach Park?
The good and bad of paid parking
Geoff Sharpe
May 06, 2024
Good morning,
Thanks to readers for sharing some books I should read. Some great suggestions, and I’ve added many of them to my growing reading list!
Speaking of books, it’s not often that a Vancouver news story pairs perfectly with a book I’m currently reading. That’s certainly the case in today’s main story about paid parking potentially coming to Spanish Banks. You may think an entire book on parking would be boring, but I promise you, parking policy is extremely interesting.
We’ve also got opinions from Lookout readers about the FIFA cost overruns from a poll last week, and people were not happy to hear about the extra costs.
Let’s get to it!
— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor
PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.
WEATHER
Monday: 14 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️
Tuesday: 15 🌡️ 7 | ⛅
Wednesday: 17 🌡️ 9 | ⛅
HOUSING
Should there be paid parking at Spanish Banks Beach ?
What happened: The park board will vote this week on whether to adopt paid parking at Spanish Banks Beach Park as part of a 12-month pilot project. Starting in July, parking would cost $1 per hour in the spring and summer, with the fees planned to run from May to September, according to Urbanized.
Why do it: Ever had that annoying experience driving around, eying up the area, desperately looking for any open spot? Paid parking at Spanish Banks is an attempt to solve the chronic overcrowding and congestion in the area. The funds would be used to upgrade the park’s facilities, and would generate about $70,000 a year.
Think you’re smart if you park nearby instead? Not so fast. Paid parking will also be implemented on nearby streets next to the beach.
Opposition: A petition has been launched and some locals are speaking out against it, saying cars are the easiest way for certain people to get to the beach, including large families and the disabled.
History repeats itself: Back in 2018 the park board debated paid parking, but eventually declined after public pushback. Part of the park board’s reasoning was there wasn’t enough accessibility available for people. The initial plan was for a $3.50 per hour fee, compared to the current proposed plan of $1.
Why do it: Congestion problems from parking stem from limited inventory and not a price mechanism to limit how long people stay. People can park as long as they like with little need to move their vehicle. Paid parking would free up more spaces, as well as reduce the number of people driving to the beach.
Also it’s the only beach without paid parking, according to CBC.
Yes, but: The beach is somewhat out of the way, which is why people drive to it. From the downtown Waterfront Station, it takes almost an hour to get to by transit, including a 15-minute walk if you take the 004 or 014, both not ideal if you have a family. The 042 goes directly there, but requires a connection from anywhere downtown, and leaves every 30 minutes. Again, not ideal.
For policy nerds: I’ve started reading an outstanding book called The High Cost of Free Parking. While mostly focused on the US, the principles around it also apply to Canada. Part of the argument is that cities should institute paid parking when there are more cars than there are parking spots.
One key point in the book is that we pay for everything related to vehicles, why should parking be any different, especially when it’s a finite good? Parking itself is not free, with costs associated with upkeep, cleaning and more, costs that are incurred by the public and not just those using the spots. If you aren’t interested in reading the entire book, which I’d still recommend, Vox has a great interview with the author exploring these ideas further.
Should there be paid parking at Spanish Banks Beach? |
VANCOUVER NUMBERS
🏃 22,000+: The number of people who registered for the BMO Marathon. [Urbanized]
📉 $10 million: Not the price of a home, but how much the price of this home dropped. It’s the most expensive house on the real estate market and is now priced at $49.8 million. [Business in Vancouver]
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NEW JOBS
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THE AGENDA
🏖️ Good news for all you beach lovers. The weather is expected to warm up quite a bit by the end of the week, with the weather hitting 23 degrees by Friday. [Vancouver is Awesome]
🚨 Gallery Nightclub is dealing with a rash of violent incidents, with a man stabbed at the club on Thursday. The club also dealt with a stabbing last November and a shooting in October. [Global]
🎁 City officials are required to disclose gifts over $50. So what has the mayor accepted? It looks like a whole lot of concert tickets, including Beyonce, Billy Idol and Guns N’ Roses among others, though some including Beyonce were not actually used. His staff says the mayor “adhered to all appropriate procedures by disclosing the tickets and recording their disposition.” Part of the reasoning in the documents was for event research. [Vancouver is Awesome]
🔓️ London Drugs stores are beginning to re-open as they deal with the aftermath of the cyber security attack. But they are not saying which stores will be open or when. [Vancouver Sun]
🪧 Workers at ATU Local 134, which includes transit operators, mechanics and service workers on the Blue Busses in West Vancouver have voted 96 percent in favour of a strike. A strike notice can be given with 72-hour notice. Negotiations have been set for today, with benefits and working conditions as the main sticking points, including a five-minute washroom break for drivers after they complete a ride. [CBC]
🏗️ Wongs’ Benevolent Society in Chinatown serves a vital role in the area, offering language classes and cultural connections to Cantonese speakers. But the building requires urgent repairs, and they’re hoping to win the funding through a public voting contest. You can vote here to support the organization. [The Tyee]
🏒 Huge congrats to Canucks forward Elias Pettersson who was named as one of the three finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who shows the best sportsmanship, along with playing ability. [Canucks Army]
⚽️ The Whitecaps played to a 0-0 draw against Austin FC. The team has fallen to fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 5-3-2, and are three points away from first place.
SURVEY
What readers had to say about World Cup cost overruns
It appears that Lookout readers are not too happy about cost overruns for the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver. Here’s the breakdown of the results, with 58% of readers being very worried about the price tag:
And here’s what some readers had to say
Reader: “I work in the arts and it's frustrating to listen to the city say how important arts and culture and local events are to them, but put all their money into bringing large-scale external events... Knowing how many arts orgs are struggling to stay afloat right now and the city saying we have no money to give you while they spend 100's of millions on FIFA is a gut punch.”
Reader: “I'm more concerned about our ability to capture the tourist dollars coming into our city with our low hotel stock availability. We are already facing the challenges of having enough hotel rooms during regular tourist season, let alone special events like the World Cup.”
Reader: “I doubt that people are taking into account the very long term benefits to the city and the province. It's bad that costs are not well managed, but I'm betting more people (especially soccer fans) worldwide will hold Vancouver in high regard for decades because of the FIFA hosting event. North American soccer needs a boost like this to raise world soccer in this part of the world to the high value it enjoys in Europe, South America and elsewhere.”
Reader: “Expo and the Winter Olympics were huge pluses to the city and province and I expect this will be the same”
FOOD PREVIEW
A tour along Cambie Street
Sometimes you just walk. And walk. And walk. And then you find something great.
I had one of those days back in early spring. I had gotten off at King Edward Station and just started walking north, seeing what restaurants and shops I should review
Tomorrow’s edition of our food newsletter explores three of these places — a restaurant serving a Chinese regional cuisine, a Turkish dessert shop and an Indian restaurant that I visited many years ago, but wanted to highlight one more time.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Art and sport can mix!
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
Water restrictions which are now in place will be around until Oct. 15. [CBC]
Tired of drowning in science news? Dive into The Aurorean! Their weekly briefing scours 100+ sources to bring you the juiciest bits of science news every Wednesday. Stay ahead of the curve—subscribe now for free! 🔬[Sponsored]
Vancouver’s School Streets program, which shuts down streets for children to walk and bike nearby schools, is starting back up today. [City of Vancouver]
If parts of Vancouver looked overgrown and apocalyptic, it’s because the HBO TV show The Last of Us was filming in the city last week. [CTV]
Cambie Bridge and Hinge Park seawall construction is complete and the area is once again open. [City of Vancouver]
Congrats to the Vancouver Aquatic Centre which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. [Reddit]
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GAME TIME
How much would parking cost per hour at the Spanish Banks parking lot if the paid parking pilot is approved? |
What did you think of today's newsletter? |