On-street pay parking? Maple Ridge may be updating its Town Centre parking policy 

After making more than $150,000 in parking revenue last year, Maple Ridge city council is exploring new policies on its parking strategy within Town Centre for the first time in four years. 

Most of the revenue went towards funding new capital projects and maintaining three pay parking lots: underground at the Maple Ridge Business Centre, the Edge Street lot and the commuter parking lot adjacent to the Haney Place bus loop.

The findings were discussed at a council workshop Tuesday. 

Despite the profitability of the pay parking method, which the city launched in 2020, Coun. Ahmed Yousef wondered whether replacing free on-street parking with metered stalls would help local businesses. 

The city has 1,500 free on-street parking spots, many of which have one or two hour time limit restrictions. 

Yousef said that he’s heard business owners and employees within the downtown core who would prefer paying for parking if it meant they didn’t need to move their car every couple of hours.

“I’ve personally come across business owners, operators and employees within the downtown area who have said, ‘I’d rather park [and pay] for four or five hours than have to move my car every hour’ or incur a parking violation ticket because I was busy with a customer,” Yousef said.

He also asked whether the city has plans to take the idea to the public and gauge their appetite for more pay parking stalls. (There are no immediate plans to take it to the public).

Replicating the model used at the city’s underground lots on weekends, where the first hour of parking is free and additional rates of $1 per hour (or $4 per day) may work, according to city staff.

It’s likely inevitable that Maple Ridge moves in that direction, said Darrell Denton, the city’s manager of corporate properties, citing Port Moody’s recent decision to apply paid parking in multiple pockets of the city as one way to increase turnover and the number of visitors to the city. 

“Maple Ridge is still in its infancy as it relates to pay parking,” Denton said. “A dollar for an extra hour, and things like that, we will be moving in that direction.” 

Mark Halpin, Maple Ridge’s manager of transportation, poured cold water on the idea that adding on-street pay parking would be more profitable. There’s a high threshold that needs to be achieved to cover the operating costs to maintain the pay parking structure, he said. 

In his view, Port Moody hit that mark before expanding its pay parking model in recent months. 

Maple Ridge staff have canvassed the city twice in the past year — once during the holiday season and another in the spring —  looking for where the high occupancy rates are during the day and whether any changes to the curbside parking model will be necessary. 

As most of the city’s profits from parking cover its operating costs, Yousef hinted at the idea of whether Maple Ridge should increase its hourly and daily parking fees. The city’s rates are competitive with other nearby jurisdictions, Denton said, and Maple Ridge is focused on not establishing deterrents with its parking model.

“We got a wide range [of parking], if someone has the ability to walk a block and park for free all day, that option is available,” Denton added. “If they want to park for two hours for free, that’s available, if they want to pay and stay here all day on Saturday, it’s $4.”  

There are multiple streets located within 200 and 500 metres of Memorial Peace Park where residents can park for free, according to a map shared with council.

However, Coun. Korleen Carreras said the city should do more for seniors and people with accessibility needs.   

Maple Ridge doesn’t currently have any free accessible parking in any underground lots, which is something Carreras said she hopes the city reviews in the future. 

“There’s a lot of us that are able to walk, but a whole portion that aren’t able to, including our seniors,” she said. “I want to make sure that is a key priority: that we have accessible parking spots that are free for folks.” 

Carreras also asked staff to find more information on the business impact related to parking and making parking free in the city on weekends. 

Staff are expected to report back to council with new recommendations related to the Town Centre parking plan following council’s summer break. 

The next scheduled workshop and council meeting is slated for Sept. 10.