Delinquent fine hikes, reduced impound lot hours and ParkPlus systems installed into city-run parkades will greet Calgary motorists this year.
All but two aldermen approved the Calgary Parking Authority’s operating budget for the next two years yesterday, including a list of changes to save $1.1 million over the next two years, but Ald. Ray Jones is not happy with those alterations.
“There are certain aspects of the parking authority I don’t seem to get along with, and it was easier to vote against it than for it and try to nitpick things out of it,” he said.
Jones dislikes the ParkPlus system and is frustrated with the case of a Calgary man who received a ticket “while dropping his wife off at the side of the road for ten seconds” last month.
“We seem to be nickel and diming people to death, and it’s just something that rubbed me the wrong way.”
Jones said he believes parking manager Dale Fraser, who wasn’t made available for interviews, should have been at the meeting to address concerns.
“We should be able to ask questions instead of just being presented a budget. I’ve had a number of questions over time … but they don’t get answered.”
Resident Brian Whiteworth said he believes the expansion into parkades is just more of a “cash cow.”
“I believe that there isn’t a parkade downtown that hasn’t paid for itself 10 times over, so it looks like just a reason to solicit more money than needed for upkeep,” he said.
Effective immediately, Calgarians will also see increased fines for unpaid tickets after 30 days, as well as for illegal parking in handicapped spaces. The other changes will come into effect throughout the year, according to CPA spokesperson Shelley Trigg.
