Calgary parking permits for inner-city residents to be axed for some buildings in 2023
Posted Mar 29, 2022 3:59 pm.
Last Updated Mar 29, 2022 4:27 pm.
If you’re living in Calgary’s inner-city and are able to take advantage of a street parking permit, you may want to enjoy it while it lasts.
A change to the Residential Permit Parking Program (RPP) comes into effect in 2023, and will see the program eliminated for most residents to try and help boost parking options in dense communities.
Once the program is axed, any buildings built after 1945 with more than 20 units and are four stories or taller will no longer be eligible for the permits.
The city has said that residents who currently have a permit and live at an address that will no longer be eligible will be able to renew their pass for 2022, but will be advised of the changes coming in the future.
Anyone who renews their pass this year would maintain that spot through 2024.
“These residential parking pass programs, which serve a very, very small number of people, make it very hard for someone who’s working a minimum wage job to get to that coffee shop,” said Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra on Tuesday.
Carra says the decision was made by the previous council and he is in support of it.
Other councillors, like Ward 7’s Terry Wong, says they have to consider the people who may have mobility issues or may not be able to pay for a separate spot.
“If you bought into that property, you’ve lived in that property, you’ve had that quiet enjoyment, we want to continue that,” said Wong.
“Is it the right approach? In some cases, yes. In other cases, there are better approaches.”
Roughly 4,500 households will be impacted by the changes.
