Councillors to consider free, reserved parking plan for car-share vehicles

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This article was published 25/02/2020 (1518 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The city could soon reserve several parking spaces for car-sharing vehicles.

A proposed one-year pilot project would offer six on-street spaces and one parking lot stall devoted to those vehicles, if council approves the plan as is.

The city would also waive time limits and fees for the spots, to allow car-share vehicles unrestricted parking.

A local company involved in the project said similar strategies are in place in many North American cities and the new proposal would help promote sustainable transportation here in Winnipeg.

“I think it’s absolutely crucial. There’s a greater visibility when we’re parking on streets… that will help people entice them to try car sharing,” said Philip Mikulec, operations manager of Peg City Car Co-op (PCCC).

Mikulec said companies like his need reliable parking access to grow. PCCC is currently the only major membership-based car-sharing operation in Winnipeg.

Mikulec said the pilot project would also reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

“One car-sharing vehicle can take upwards of 15 privately owned vehicles off the road,” he said.

Mikulec said that once people begin using shared vehicles, they tend to reduce their travel in single-passenger cars and become more likely to bike, ride a bus or walk instead.

While the city expects to lose about $13,000 of parking revenue during the pilot project, Mikulec said it will also provide a lot of value.

“You might lose a parking spot and some revenue but the bigger objective here is providing a robust and sustainable transportation system,” he said.

To participate in the program, PCCC is expected to pay $100 for a street use permit and buy separate per-vehicle permits that cost $25 each for free parking sites and $100 each for paid parking ones.

If other companies express interest in the pilot project, they may also be able to join it, a city report notes.

Council’s public works committee is slated to cast the first vote on the idea on March 3.

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), the committee’s chair, said he supports the proposal and expects car-sharing would produce several benefits for Winnipeg.

“If people are opting for car-share, maybe they don’t need a car or they don’t need a second car, so that frees up parking on streets…. People shifting their mode of transportation is good for everybody because it’s (also) going to mean less congestion on our streets,” he said.

Allard echoed the belief that the project could convince more Winnipeggers to explore green modes of transportation.

Four of the on-street spaces would be placed in free parking areas, close to major Winnipeg Transit routes to encourage bus use. Those include one stall at 200 Hanbury St., one at 575 McGee St., and two others at unspecified locations on McMillan Avenue and Roslyn Road.

Two other on-street spaces would be located in paid parking areas at 100 Hargrave St. and 261 Stanley St., while one off-street space would be placed in the parking lot at 625 Osborne St.

The parking options would be available only for two-way trips, meaning the vehicle must be returned to its original parking location once it’s no longer needed.

If approved, the pilot could start this spring.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca