Report says existing parking system increases congestion because drivers circle around, looking for a place to park

CMHC, which manages Granville Island, says new parking system could boost parking availability by 15%

Drivers will be charged $2 or $3 per hour, depending on the time of year

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You’ll soon have to pay to park anywhere on Granville Island, which is sure to tick off some visitors going there by car.

In an effort to free up spaces, drivers will soon be charged to park in the area between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The change is expected to come into effect June 1, 2019.

Drivers will be charged $3 per hour from May 1 to September 30 and $2 per hour from October 1 to April 30. After 6 p.m., parking will be free.

Looks like you'll have to pay to park anywhere on Granville Island starting next summer.

Year-round pay parking coming into effect June 1, 2019 in effort to free up spaces.

Pay parking will be in effect from 11am-6pm. $3/hour May-Sept & $2/hour Oct.-April. — Lasia Kretzel (@lkretzel1130) October 30, 2018

Calling it “affordable and fair,” the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation, which manages Granville Island, says the new system is expected to boost parking availability by 15 per cent.

CMHC adds the new system is designed to “be simple to use and easy to understand” and in May 2020, there will a review looking into how effective the system is.

“We are very confident that this new parking system will work better for everyone. With that said, we will monitor the changes closely and make adjustments if necessary.”

Drivers are irked by the proposed charges, given Vancouver’s cost of living

That is not how local drivers feel about the upcoming charges at one of Vancouver’s top outing spots, however. It makes some feel nickel-and-dimed.

“I do think that the three bucks an hour in the summer, and two bucks an hour in the winter may be a teeny bit rich,” a driver tells NEWS 110. “Eradicate it in the winter because there’s no need for that.”

Others says it’s symptomatic of Vancouver’s high cost of living, including having a car, and has led people to make difficult decisions.

“I personally chose not to have a car anymore because I just can’t afford it,” one drivers says. “It’s not an easy choice, but I can’t afford it, so I don’t keep it anymore.”

It may even keep away some out-of-towners, too.

“We don’t bother a lot of the times,” says one man visiting from Kelowna. “We’re just down here for medical reasons and we still have to pay a lot to be here for that.”

Granville Island parking report says current system cause backups

A report called the Granville Island Parking Management Strategy says there are over 1,200 parking stalls in the tourist hotspot, but it can be hard to find a place to park during peak hours.

“Changing the parking system will increase parking availability so that it’s easier for drivers to find a stall. The new pay parking hours will encourage some people to shift their trips to the morning or evening, when the Island is less busy.

Right now, about 60 per cent of the public parking stalls are free. Some have a one-hour limit, while others allow you to park for three hours. The remaining 40 per cent of the stalls are already pay parking, at a rate of $3.50 per hour from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. year-round.

The report says the current parking system causes major slowdowns and traffic backups.

The current mix of free and pay parking increases congestion because some drivers are willing to circle the Island, searching for a free parking stall. In the new system, every parking stall is the same.