Saskatoon downtown group says parking fee hike 'punishes' business
CTV
The head of Saskatoon’s Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) is not happy with the decision by a city councillors to increase parking fees.
The head of Saskatoon’s Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) is not happy with the decision by city councillors to increase parking fees.
During a special budget meeting last month, councillors voted in favour of a city administration plan to increase parking fees by 50 cents an hour and to add a 15-cent fee anytime the parking app is used in an effort to reduce a projected $51-million budget shortfall anticipated for next year.
The plan will still need approval when council meets later this year to finalize the budget.
The downtown BID's executive director Brent Penner said the area has not fully recovered from COVID-19 and the increase in parking fees will hurt local businesses.
“The timing is not great - with downtowns being the hardest hit from the pandemic, it kind of punishes downtown at a time it is still trying to recover,” Penner said to CTV News in an email.
"While the city did this to increase their revenue from parking, one analyst has opined that it could reduce visitation to these areas and if that happens, parking revenue stays flat. Time will tell on this," Penner said.
Penner said the councillors' decision may have unforeseen circumstances.
