Tofino considers adding downtown pay parking

Tofino, B.C., is pictured. (Getty Images)

The District of Tofino is looking for feedback on potentially adding pay parking to its downtown area.

The municipality says the move towards pay parking comes as busy summer seasons put pressure on parking in the downtown core, which negatively impacts businesses, residents and visitors.

"In frequent cases, informal and poor parking habits resulted in reduced parking convenience/access to public spaces, infrastructure and vegetation damage, degraded road user safety, and high enforcement needs," reads Tofino's information page on the proposed pay parking.

The pay parking would be in effect from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily between May and October.

Payment would range from $1.50 an hour to $3 an hour depending on how long a vehicle stays parked. The proposed price points can be found below:

• $1.50 per hour for the first two hours
• $2.00/hour for hours three and four
• $2.50/hour for hours five and six
• $3.00/hour for hours seven and eight
• The cumulative cost for parking all day in a paid spot is $18.00.

The district says the paid parking program would generate about $230,000 in revenue annually, based on its projections.

If approved, the pay parking would follow Tofino's introduction of parking fees at beaches in 2021.

"Pay parking is a proven way to increase turnover and parking availability while providing an important funding source to support parking and mobility infrastructure costs without additional taxation," reads the district website.

If the new program is introduced, the district is proposing giving residents one free "downtown residential permit" per household, if they live next to a street where pay parking will be introduced.

A second annual pass would be available for $250, though that price is expected to go up in future years.

Tofino is holding a virtual town hall meeting on the matter on April 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Residents can register for the virtual town hall meeting on the District of Tofino website, or submit questions in advance of the meeting at [e-mail].