As a resident of the East 100 Block on 1st Street in North Vancouver, I was upset to read about the proposed changes to the parking situation in our neighbourhood. The proposal indicates that our street will be designated as a high-demand commercial zone with no permit parking exemptions and strictly paid parking from 9 am to 9 pm. At least 99 residential units are on this block between the Coronado and 111 East 1st Street. It makes no sense that the street is not considered mixed residential/commercial.
In my personal situation, the main reason we require a second vehicle and a street permit is that we both work and must transport our child to and from school. As you know, there are no schools are in the Lower Lonsdale area. Our catchment school is Ridgeway, a 1.6 km / 26-minute walk.
With two working parents, this is not feasible without a car and Evos and similar services are not sufficiently available to provide reliable transportation nor does the city offer any school bus services – public transportation is not an option due to our child’s age (elementary) and time constraints with us needing to be at work.
With the proposed fees – even if we only had to pay the paid parking fees during out of work hours (6 to 9 pm) – which in our case is a very low estimate as our work hours vary so there are many times we are both home – the yearly cost to us for paying from 6-9 pm would be over $2500 – not factoring in the costs to park a second vehicle on weekends.
We will not be able to spend this money in the various local businesses you claim these measures are being implemented to support. Currently I buy my pet food at For Pet’s Sake to support a local business. With less money in my pocket due to these increased fees I’ll be more likely to drive to Pet Smart and buy it for a lower price – and bonus! I don’t have to pay the proposed parking fees while I drive and pollute the environment rather than walk next door. As my budget tightens I also won’t be getting an afternoon coffee at Parallel 49 or going to brunch at Jam Cafe or dinner at The Gull. Don’t forget that the people who spend the most money at these local businesses are the people who live right here. These measures will cost us money – that will have an impact on what we can spend on our local business.
To be clear, I support an increase to the permit fees. I have said for a while that they’re way too cheap, and the city should increase and would happily pay more than the current permit cost. I don’t support taking away permit parking on a street that is equally – if not more – residential as it is commercial.
I both understand and support the need to address the parking issues in our neighbourhood. The city has built up the neighbourhood to attract visitors to local attractions such as the shipyards without factoring in adequate parking accommodations and are now trying to fix the problem at local resident’s expense. The very least the city can do is honour residential parking permits for the families who call this neighbourhood home. and would like to be able to continue to raise their children here.
I have always bragged to people how responsive and considerate the municipal government of CNV is and I really hope this isn’t the issue that turns my opinion.
Lori Kilback is a resident of the City of North Vancouver.
Excellent points, Lori!
The whole fiasco is complete nonsense. I wonder where the politicians live and wouls they be personally impacted by these changes?
This is such a reasonable position! This is clearly mixed use and should remain that way. Residents need permit parking. It’s like that even downtown Vancouver. Her proposal makes perfect sense.Go Lori!
There’s excellent public transit. In my view, the school is in walking or cycling distance. Not sure taxpayers should be on the hook to provide you a parking spot. Consider renting a parking space privately from someone else in your condo or a nearby condo, from someone that doesn’t have a car. Lots of options, rather than demanding the tax payer provide you with a free parking spot in a prime area.
There’s excellent public transit. In my view, the school is in walking or cycling distance. Not sure taxpayers should be on the hook to provide you a parking spot. Consider renting a parking space privately from someone else in your condo or a nearby condo, from someone that doesn’t have a car. Lots of options, rather than demanding the tax payer provide you with a free parking spot in a prime area.
I agree.
Transit is not efficient for all routes.
Riding or walking isn’t always an option.
We pay our taxes and feel this is unnecessary. A family with both parents are working and juggling their kids, job and all the rest is no easy task. I believe residents need to be except of these extra expenses. We are tax payers. I want to invite my friends and not have them pay for parking!
I live near LionsGate hospital and we pay to park. Only $25. Charge the residence just this and give visitors and shoppers a 2 hour window to use the NV services and restaurants.
Life is already expensive 😫 in Vancouver. To make things even worse the city is now allowing the developers to get away with not making parking lots for new buildings.
This makes no sense to me.
Transit is horrible in Vancouver.
You must work for city hall because you are ignorant — to the fact that a huge number of people who live in North Vancouver are retired or disabled and live on a fixed income.
Do you understand how difficult it is to survive on Disability Benefits or a pension?
Do you ever consider anything from anyone else’s point of view? Nope. Narcissist.
Many people drive cars because they can’t ride bicycles, walk, or even walk to a bus stop!
Open your eyes.
They are going to sell monthly/annual parking passes to residents. I’ve seen estimated $15/month for first car, $30/month for second car. That’s $45 per month or $540 per year, not $2,500 per year as you estimate. That’s more than reasonable for the use of shared public space.
You are wrong.
You feel utterly “entitled” to speak from a point of view of financial advantage. You have the money to pay $2,500 annually? Good for you. Others do not. What a self-centred opinion! Yet all too common these days. It’s me, me, I, I, and mine. Nobody else matters to people like you and Jennifer Draper.
It is NOT at all reasonable for people on fixed incomes such as RETIRED and DISABLED people to pay $2,500 per year for parking in a PUBLIC space, paid for already by residents and taxpayers. You don’t quite understand the concept of PUBLIC, do you, as in paid for by everybody to use freely. Underline “freely.”
How dare you attempt to validate your entitled opinions to the public!
Agreed!
We would happily pay more for a permit, if it meant that we could still utilize permit parking on the 100 block of East 1st.
East 1st should be considered a mixed residential and commercial street, as East 2nd and 3rd are!
I just moved back to CNV and it is a complete joke now. There’s no parking anywhere near where I live – lower Lonsdale. Can’t wait to go to the DNV.
Regardless of your dismay that there is no parking anywhere, adding pay parking meters on the main public streets of North Vancouver is not going to make any difference to that. Why don’t you check out Commercial Drive in Vancouver for comparison. It’s a mess.
This is just a cash grab for city hall’s well-paid employees who have free parking in their city hall lots. LOL.
Furthermore, I NEVER have a problem finding parking on Lonsdale.
I lived in Lower Lonsdale and there is a problem there, but it is caused by a lack of planning in the building permits and planning department at North Vancouver City Hall. It all goes back to that badly educated Jennifer Draper.
The government is suppose to work for us. No, we the owners of the district have to fight off government and defend our rights. Since over 80% of properties taxes go towards wages and benefits at city hall, their hunger for more taxes is running out of control. I wish we would have a DOGE, working for the taxpayers interests
In reality, Jennifer Draper’s claim that, “We are the only urban city in this region who does not charge for parking on our commercial high streets, …” is absolutely false.
West Vancouver’s City Hall does NOT charge for parking on its main streets.
I personally question Ms. Draper’s education and intelligence because of her rather poor English language skills. Her use of “who” is incorrect English. It should be “that.” And her made-up phrase “commercial high streets” is ridiculous. I highly doubt that anyone with such poor English skills should be making decisions for a population of 90,000 residents and citizens of North Vancouver. Who hired her? I wouldn’t have.
Public parking on public streets should be free. Period. We pay for it with our taxes.
Spoken from the heart of lower lonsdale residents.
We should be paid for inhaling air pollutants from six or seven years of construction and huge double trucks full of heavy loads going along residential streets. Open your eyes council. Find another way or go.