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White Rock sells four non-resident parking passes in first week

White Rock's non-resident decals have logged four sales in its initial week
Pay parking meters in White Rock
White Rock began selling non-resident waterfront parking decals on Nov. 1.

White Rock’s non-resident off-season waterfront parking decal program logged four sales in its first week, the city’s director of financial services confirmed.

“We have 246 to go,” Sandra Kurylo said Thursday.

A target of 250 was set by members of the Mayor’s Pay Parking Task Force earlier this year, after brainstorming ways to address ongoing concerns that pay parking was driving business and visitors away from Marine Drive.

Revenue from the decals – which went on sale Nov. 1 for $175 plus tax – is hoped to help offset other changes to the pay-parking system, including shifts to charge from 10 a.m. to midnight year-round (instead of 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. during the peak months), and split the year into two six-month seasons rather than charge peak rates ($3/hour) for eight months of the year.

If all 250 decals sell, that’s $43,000 for the city, Kurylo said.

Kurylo confirmed the non-resident decals – which are good until April 30, and not for use by employees of Marine Drive businesses – are equal in value to 116⅔ hours of parking at the new off-season rate of $1.50/hr, or about 29 four-hour visits.

Mayor Wayne Baldwin Friday described the pace of decal sales so far as “pretty good.” If it doesn’t pick up, he expects efforts to raise awareness of their availability will ramp up.

Baldwin could not say if poor response to the program would result in it being taken off the table entirely next year. A price adjustment may be considered instead, he said.

A resident-parking decal is $40 plus tax (up from $30) to park year-round from January and includes the lot at Centennial Arena and city meters around Peace Arch Hospital.

Both decals are available at city hall (15322 Buena Vista Ave.), the White Rock Community Centre (15154 Russell Ave.), Centennial Park Leisure Centre (14600 North Bluff Rd.) and the Kent Street Activity Centre (1475 Kent St.).

 



Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
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