Petition calling for changes to parking fees in Thunder Bay, Ont., racks up over a thousand signatures
CBC
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 at city meters, 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 businesses; that 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.
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 the Parking Authority's Financial Plan.
Apart from the fee adjustments, other changes include the elimination of time limits in metered spaces, and 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 says the 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.
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