Metrolinx may finally be ready to consider charging GO Transit riders for access to its vast parking lots, which operate mostly on a first-come, first-served basis.

Station parking is one potential revenue stream that could be considered among other taxes and tolls the provincial agency is talking up to fund a massive regional transit expansion.

As recently as last June, Metrolinx CEO Bruce McCuaig said the provincial agency had no plans to change its GO parking policy.

But at a Metrolinx board meeting Wednesday, he suggested that officials might be reconsidering that stance.

“When we look at parking, it can either be parking on a broad basis or it can be very specific, like the parking around transit stations. Yes, it’s something we’re looking at. It’s something we want to get input from the public, the municipalities and stakeholders on. We need to be able to see how it could have a place, or, if it doesn’t have a place, why not,” McCuaig told reporters.

A report to the provincial government last year by economist Don Drummond mentioned that GO should consider introducing parking fees, as the TTC has.

The TTC collects about $10 million annually by charging for about 13,000 parking spots. In January, it raised parking prices by $1, to $6 at the Don Mills station and to $4 at Kennedy.

GO has more than 65,500 parking spots at its regional stations. It already collects some parking revenue by renting out reserved spots — about 6 per cent of the total — to riders. It is also rapidly expanding its parking with new decked garages as ridership continues to grow and there’s more demand at the stations.

But if GO charges for parking, riders will expect more service, said McCuaig.

“I think people would say, ‘If you’re asking me to pay more, I want to see an improved service as a result of that,’” he said.

GO has long maintained that the price of parking is built into its fares. But others have suggested that penalizes riders who do the right thing by the environment and traffic congestion, by finding other ways to the station such as walking or biking.

GO has beefed up its bike parking with covered shelters and a couple of secured bike rooms in the system. It also subsidizes local bus fare for its customers who take a regional bus to the station.

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