Employer-provided parking for city workers may soon become a thing of the past for those who don’t need their vehicles for business use.
Monday’s city council agenda includes an audit report that states the city can “significantly reduce the cost of employer-provided parking in the downtown core.”
Ward 7 Ald. Druh Farrell said the city should consider getting away from providing parking as a perk to employees.
“It’s timely to review our parking policy,” Farrell said. “We should be doing everything we can to encourage alternative means of transportation for our staff.”
The auditor’s report spanned the years 2008 and 2009 and recommends that employers should provide parking primarily to city employees who need their vehicles for business use on a regular basis.
The report also determined that the city spent nearly $2.7 million last year on annual parking costs for employees.
“To tell you the truth, employees who get parking are lucky to have it,” said a city employee speaking under condition of anonymity. “I take public transit for a couple reasons: It’s cheaper and I don’t need a second vehicle.”
