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PARKING MAD
THE PROBLEMS WITH PARKING IN THE CITY ONLY SERVE TO UNDERSCORE BIGGER DILEMMAS
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by
Sarah Veale
March 24 – 30, 2005 |
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Municipal employees used to park free in this town. And,
if City employees get their way, they’ll all soon be
parking sans gratis—and most likely on the backs of
Hamilton residents.
Of course, this is a battle that’s already been fought.
Hamilton revoked what remained of the Old City’s
parking privileges earlier in the year. That’s exactly what
makes the current round of demands that much more
maddening (and yet another example of our municipal
government’s inability to take the lead on issues facing
inside criticism). Scrapping a negligible benefit which
had limited users seemed an ideal way to both level the
playing field for city staff while simultaneously nicking a
few pennies off an already bloated budget. To revisit the
issue under the premises of giving everyone parking not
only goes against existing city policy (those not
grandfathered into the plan have had to pay to park all
along) but in effect would increase spending on this very
issue.
Who gets stuck with the bill? Taxpayers. Instead of
suggesting City staff toughen up and deal, City Hall’s
rush to reopen the subsidized parking issue—this time
with an added burden and expanded program base—
shows a lack of regard for resident’s pockets.
But like disgruntled City Staff, Hamiltonians have a beef
with the price of downtown transportation. Especially
public transit, the primary form of getting about for poor
and low–wage workers (the majority of whom can’t
afford cars—or their attendant parking spots—in the first
place).
While the current system questionably meets capacity
needs, the cost of an adult bus pass will run the average
person $65. That’s roughly 1.5 times the going rate on a
monthly downtown parking spot. Who here should be
complaining about fairness?
It’s easy to understand why the city’s employees would
prefer their cars. The ease of mobility and
convenience—not to mention the lack of drunk and/or
homeless people, occasionally lengthy wait–times and
overcrowding commonly found on the HSR—definitely
weigh in the car’s favour. But it’s less easy to grasp why
all the noise over the minor user fee. When it comes to
downtown parking, Hamilton has it easy.
What the whole argument conveniently overlooks is that
cities are, by nature, expensive places. They provide a
unique confluence of goods, services and diversity that
(theoretically) can’t be found elsewhere. A parking lot,
on the other hand rarely contributes to this sort of
convergence. In fact, they often seriously reduce the
amount of space available for development (and hence,
cramp potential rental income and business taxes) while
encouraging people to move from point A to point B
without considering what’s in between.
For these reasons alone, city parking space should at a
premium, not only because they compromise the City’s
ability to generate revenue (and thus reduce taxes) but
also because there’s other ways to get around in the first
place—ways which encourage a bustling downtown
without causing the kind of congestion generated by a
parade of single passenger cars.
Most other urban areas don’t have the same
compunction about charging for this limited space that
Hamilton’s handicapped buy. Take for instance London,
England, where a charge of five pounds is levied for
downtown driving privileges. Or Chicago, where a
parking meter swallows a dollar for every ten minutes
you spend in the Loop. Or New York, where a month’s
worth of parking in Hamilton will buy you two hours in
Manhattan, at best. In other words, when it’s cheaper to
park your car in Hamilton than it is to ride the bus, the
urban problem at hand is the cost of parking—that it’s
too low.
As it is, the current situation has done little to discourage
City employees from the desire to drive, even among
those who’ve never taken advantage of Hamilton’s
sweet–heart deal on parking. As one member of city staff
(who wishes to remain anonymous) says, “I do pay for
parking and am still paying for it… it hasn’t been a
deterrent for me.”
But what alternatives does the City have to giving
everyone a free ride? For starters, they don’t have to
give away the whole cow. A plan which sees employees
sharing the cost of parking, while not ideal, would both
be a smart middle ground which alleviates a portion of
the financial strain while simultaneously acknowledging
it’s not the only option. It also leaves both parties plenty
of negotiating room in the future. As well, incentives for
those who rideshare or take the bus sends a strong
message about this city’s priorities and commitment to a
multi–pronged strategy towards urban transportation.
According to Ancaster Councillor Murray Ferguson,
other avenues are being explored by City Hall that don’t
explicitly lead to parking lots. “As I understand it,” he
explains, “there is currently a HSR pass system in place
that allows an employee of the City to get a reduced rate
on the transit system and the City Manager is preparing
a report to address car pooling and incentives for City
staff to get involved with.”
What needs to be conveyed to city council when
deciding this matter is that cars are not the final word on
mobility. The truth is, there are other ways to get
downtown from just about anywhere in the upper and
lower city. For City workers to be so adamant regarding
the right to park is ridiculous when you consider nearly
20 different bus routes make their final destination in or
around Gore Park—just blocks away from most
employee offices.
Obviously, this isn’t a tempestuous issue because of
need; rather it’s reappeared because it inconveniences
a few for the benefit of the many. Unfortunately, those
complaining loudest have a direct line to City Hall. If only
the rest of us had the same ease grabbing council’s
attention when it comes to the issues which concern
residents most, maybe Hamilton could stop whining
about not being recognized as a city proper and actually
spend some time being one. V
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