Calgary parking permit changes spark petition

A change to Calgary’s residential parking permit program has sparked controversy, with some now trying to stop it from happening.

A Change.org petition opposing the change, which will see people living in inner city parking zones pay significantly more as of Aug. 1, has more than 9,000 signatures.

People living in houses in permitted areas used to have access to two resident vehicle passes and two visitor passes for free.

Now, they’ll have to pay an annual fee per pass.

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Watch: Changes to Calgary’s Residential Parking permits see Calgarians paying to park 

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Under the new program, two resident cars and two visitor passes would cost $275 per year.

Visitors will still have to register their plates online.

Brenda Tackaberry, who started the petition, writes that the changes to the program are cost prohibitive for many people, including seniors, those with disabilities, new families, and refugees.

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Related stories: 

• New parking permit introduced for Calgarians living in buildings 

• Calgary introduces new fees for on-street parking permits

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She adds that it also isn’t accessible to everyone because permits must be purchases online and visitors must register online.

“While developers gain the upper hand by not having to provide as many parking spaces on their developments in an effort to save them money and encourage more developments and density in the city, the city also makes substantially more money off the permit program, [and] the tax paying homeowners are burdened with the big cost,” Tackaberry writes.