Petition calling for changes to parking fees in Thunder Bay, Ont., gets over 1,000 signatures

Small business owners in Thunder Bay, Ont., are rallying behind a petition calling for changes to the city's new parking meter fees.

As of June 1, people must pay a minimum of $2, which buys an hour of time. The hourly fees are just one of a number of changes implemented at the beginning of the month.

"If you're paying for 15 minutes or you're paying for an hour, you're paying $2,and that seems very disproportionate to small businessesthat actually would harm them," said Kara Pratt, executive director of the Waterfront District Business Improvement Area (BIA).

The BIA launched an online petition on May 31, calling on the municipal parking service to add 15-and 30-minute parking options in the downtown cores. The initial goal of the online petition was 500 signatures. Now, more than 1,300 people have signed it.

Pratt said the participation is no surprise, especially because short visits downtown for something like a coffee is "the bread and butter for small businesses."

"It's quick stops it's how they compete against your large corporations that have drive-thrus and their own parking lots," Pratt said. "It's our small businesses and local building owners that fuel a lot of the economy in Thunder Bay."

The BIA argues the requirement to pay for a full hour of parking will deter customers, driving more people to areas of the city where shorter, or free, parking periods are more accessible.

Barriers to shopping locally

Last year, an external review of the city's parking authority was completed and shared with city council. Changes were recommended to parking fees and operations to help make parking financially self-sufficient. A public survey was also launched on theParking Authority's Financial Plan.

Apart from the fee adjustments, other changes include the elimination of time limits in metered spacesand the 15-minute grace period at the end of paid time.

Short-term meter rates are in effect Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Paid parking at the marina was also implemented, with the option to buy parking passes.

Bailey Whitefield owns Sound Hearing Inc., a hearing clinic on Court Street North. She saidthe new parking fees will hurt small businesses already struggling with a lack of parking spaces due to construction in the north core.

"They're taking away parking spots and now they're making parking inaccessible for people that don't want to pay $2 to run in and grab something quick or go to a quick appointment," Whitefield said.

"Thunder Bay is very good at supporting local [businesses], but if it's going to start costing [customers] a lot more, they're not going to do that."

Whitefield's business is connected to the Heart of the Harbour parkade. She used to buy parking vouchers for her clients, but now the parkade has a $5 flat fee for the day.

"They're not giving me an option to pay for tokens for my clients that are only here for half an hour to an hour max, so I won't be doing that anymore. That's not viable for a small business," she said.

Councillor senses 'urgency' of issue

The BIA was involved in consultations with the city about the proposed parking changes, but Pratt said the $2 minimum fee was missed.

"There were some things, of course, that we asked for that didn't go forward, but we're going to continue to try and fight for our small businesses," said Pratt.

The online petition saidBIA representatives plan to make a deputation to city council June 17.

At-large city Coun.Kasey Etreni saidshe's been working closely with the city's manager of corporate services, Karen Lewis, to address the issues being raised by residents and business owners.

"I can say that I'm listening. Council is listening and city hall is listening ... to be fair, there's a couple pieces that I believe we missed when this was being passed forward," Etreni said.

Etreni said she would like to see 15-minute and 30-minute parking options added to the new program. However, jam-packed council agendas in the coming weeks mean a resolution may take time to come to fruition.

"Both myself and Karen Lewis have stressed the urgency of this. We don't want businesses to suffer. We don't want residents to have to pay the way they are paying now. There's a lot of work to be done, but we need to think of a way forward together."

Calls for exceptions for residents

Beyond business owners, those who live in the city's downtown areas say the parking fees also took them by surprise. Resident Brian Arbour says he wasn't given notice about the changes until after they came into effect on June 1.

The monthly rate at the city's parkades is $78, which Arbour saidis reasonable; however, the parkade near where he lives is already at capacity, so he parks on the street.

If he had to pay the $2 minimum hourly fee, that would amount to almost $700 a month, he said.

While the city is encouraging more urban infill in core areas, Arbour said the parking problem must be addressed or no one will want to live there.

His suggestion is a separate parking system for downtown residents comparable to the $78 parkade fee.

"I do think it's important to address the fact that we do need to pay for parking. The parking authority cannot run in the red forever," Arbour said.

"But give [residents] a dangle for the rearview mirror or sticker for the windshield to indicate that we are residents and exempted from the hourly parking fee, so that it's still a reasonable amount of money for people."