Ambleside businesses report 30% drop in sales after pay parking

Local businesses in Ambleside are reporting a sharp decline in sales since pay parking was introduced in Ambleside Park a few weeks ago, saying the change has pushed park visitors to park in the commercial area and left customers struggling to find spots.

According to the Ambleside Dundarave Business Improvement Association (ADBIA), many shops and restaurants along Bellevue, Marine, and Clyde Avenues have seen revenues drop by as much as 30 percent compared to the same period in previous years. Preliminary reports from a small group of businesses show more than $52,000 in lost revenue in the final two weeks of September alone.

“Park users are parking for free in the business district instead of paying in the park,” said ADBIA Executive Director Maureen O’Brien. “That’s left our customers circling the block, frustrated, and in many cases choosing to shop elsewhere.”

“Once a customer finds a new place to shop or dine, it’s very difficult to bring them back. Habits change quickly, and convenience often drives those choices. If someone can’t find parking near their favourite store or restaurant in Ambleside, they’ll look elsewhere, perhaps in Park Royal, North Vancouver, or even across the bridge, and once they make that shift, they tend to stay there. Every day that access to our local businesses is made harder, we risk losing loyal customers who have supported this community for years. It’s not just a short-term inconvenience; it’s a long-term loss for Ambleside’s small businesses and the character of our village itself.”, says
O’Brien.

ADBIA survey of visitors to the commercial area between 13th and 15th Streets found:

87% arrived by car, and 74% said it was difficult or extremely difficult to find parking.

Nearly 75% said parking challenges have made them consider shopping or dining elsewhere.

67% have noticed more people parking in the business area and walking into the park with sports
equipment.

Unlike other major parks in the Lower Mainland, Ambleside Park sits directly beside a vibrant commercial core. That close proximity, normally an asset, has now become a strain, as hundreds of park users compete with customers and employees for limited parking.

“Ambleside Park is unique,” O’Brien said. “It’s a community hub for recreation and for business. The two are inseparable, and that’s why decisions like pay parking need to be handled differently here than in the other parks in our region.”

Currently, Council has directed staff to come back before the end of 2025 with a recommendation for a spillover parking study. The ADBIA has sent recommendations to the District Council, including pausing pay parking in Ambleside Park for the winter months to allow time for solutions to be developed that will address the spillover.

“We are already seeing the effects,” O’Brien said. “There’s no need for a study, what we need now is a plan. A temporary pause would be extremely supportive of our local economy, especially given that the holiday season is fast approaching.”