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City council may scrap free parking for city staff to curb greenhouse gas emissions generated by commuting.
The free-parking perk would be replaced by incentives for staff to adopt more sustainable commuting options, but CUPE Local 15 president Paul Faoro argues other initiatives should be adopted before free parking is eliminated, such as on-site daycare and a compressed work week to reduce car trips.
The Employee Mobility Program, outlined in a report for the June 26 planning and environment committee meeting, envisions reducing single occupant vehicle commutes to city hall from 37 per cent to 25 per cent or less by 2010. That would drop greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 350 tonnes a year.
If adopted, the recommendations would affect employees at what's being dubbed "city hall precinct," which includes city hall, the east wing, the VanCity building, offices in city square, 1800 Spyglass Place, and the recently leased Echelon building at 575 West Eighth Avenue. Collectively, 1,600 city employees work at these sites. City hall precinct is the only major employer in the area that does not require employees to pay for parking, although there isn't enough free parking to accommodate all 1,600 staff.
There are 365 stalls, about 200 of which are available to general staff. The remainder are reserved for carpoolers or management staff entitled to free parking. Sean Pander, the city's climate change program manager, estimates the net annual revenue for market-priced parking for these stalls would be $450,000.
The introduction of pay parking is expected to change commuting habits and generate revenue to help support sustainable options like creating walking, carpooling, cycling and transit incentives, including free transit Faresaver ticket books, bike tune-ups and cycle skills training, as well as gift cards for walking and cycling gear.
Pander's not sure why city staff have been entitled to free parking. "I think it was just a carryover from period to period. The city has tried to introduce pay parking at city hall previously, but there were always concerns that have come up in terms of equity--why introduce it here, why not at other work sites," he said.
Only a minority of employees are able to take advantage of free parking, while the proposed new incentives would be available to everyone. The proposals are consistent with the city's transportation priorities, which favour walking, cycling and transit over automobile use. "Really, what we have now is a situation where a limited number of people can access an incentive for commuting because they drive, whereas those who use transit or walk or bike receive nothing--we're just trying to switch that," Pander said.
CUPE Local 15, the union representing most of the employees affected by the recommendations, is concerned about the introduction of pay parking. Language in its collective agreement stipulates that, if pay parking is introduced, revenues must go into a sustainable commuting program.
Staff reaction to the recommendations is mixed, according to Pander, based on consultation with the union and with employees. "The union is not pleased with the proposal as it stands," he acknowledged. "Amongst employees, the reaction is quite mixed. There are some employees who say, 'We know why you're doing this. We're going to have to pay for parking. Obviously we've got a free ride for a while. Climate change and environmental concerns are an issue.' And obviously cyclists and transit users think it's great."
Other employees feel they're being punished because they live in areas not well served by transit. They argue it would take hours to get to work without a vehicle.
Faoro, contacted last week, hadn't analyzed the report fully, but argues other ideas need to be considered. "Paid parking schemes have come up pretty much over the last seven years," he said. "They've actually all failed in the past... what we've said to council in the previous years is, before you crack the whip, let's put in real alternatives, alternatives that work for everyone."
Faoro maintains the re-introduction of a compressed work week, which was eliminated in 1999, would help reduce staff trips to city hall, while an on-site daycare would cut down on staff's need to drive. He's also calling for a full-time employee to coordinate car pools.
Pander's not sure how council will react to the report. "It's difficult to say. It's totally up to council. We recognize the union is unhappy with it. [But] council has expressed a desire to take some leadership on greenhouse gas reductions and sustainable transportation, [and] we think it provides an opportunity to do that. But council always has to balance the pros and cons."
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