Car-share parking could become long term

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This article was published 10/01/2022 (1345 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Car-sharing vehicles may soon be seen more often in Winnipeg, as the city considers a permanent program to reserve parking spots for them.

In the midst of a lengthy pilot project that dedicates four paid on-street spots and one city parking lot space exclusively to the shared vehicles, the Winnipeg Parking Authority is proposing bylaw changes that would finalize the practice.

If city council approves, the changes should help the industry grow, along with its customer base, according to Peg City Car Co-op.

“Ultimately, the purpose of this is to help incubate car-sharing in Winnipeg. It reduces the barriers (to) growth,” said Philip Mikulec, the company’s managing director.

Mikulec said a permanent program would likely lead his company to increase its fleet from 70 to 90 cars and request approval to secure eight more on-street spots this spring. If approved, he hopes new spots could add to the pilot project locations, which were established on Hargrave Street, Hanbury Street, McGee Street and Roslyn Road in August 2020. The fifth parking spot is within an Osborne Street parking lot.

The growth of car-sharing, which allows residents to book a vehicle for a period of hours or days, is expected to benefit all drivers, since each car-sharing vehicle could keep 10 to 15 other personal cars off the road.

“That can mean reduced parking pressures, reduced congestion, reduced pollution. Ultimately, when people switch to car sharing, their behaviour changes. There tends to be a reduction in (personal) vehicle miles travelled by individuals,” said Mikulec.

The head of council’s public works committee said he expects a permanent parking process to devote spots solely to the industry would help cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

“Since (they) don’t always have a car, (car-share users) are always thinking of which mode of transportation might suit a particular need at the particular moment… People who are participating in the car-share program are more likely to walk, bike, or use the bus (for some trips),” said Coun. Matt Allard.

And since private single-passenger vehicles tend to be parked 90 per cent of the time, an increased reliance on well-used shared vehicles could make parking and travelling throughout Winnipeg easier, said Allard.

“The overall benefit for Winnipeggers is less cars parked on the street, less traffic,” he said.

While Peg City is currently the only large company of its kind in the city, Mikulec said the new “well-researched” proposal for a permanent parking program may help entice others to try out the local market.

Under the new system, car-share companies would pay initial application fees, plus another $25 per space each year for spots where parking fees are not already charged. Each annual permit for a low-demand paid parking spot would cost $1,341.95, which would rise to $2,207.75 per high-demand paid parking space.

Drivers who break the rules by parking a personal vehicle in a reserved car-share spot could be fined $70.

Car-share organizations would be able to request new parking spaces from city parking officials, who would consult nearby property owners before deciding whether or not to grant each one.

The city expects the program will lead to a loss of about $33,000 in parking revenues each year.

Mikulec said the parking permit rates are similar to those in other cities.

“That strikes a good balance between us, as a car-sharing operator, and the (parking authority), recognizing that they can’t lose all of their income on high demand parking areas,” he said.

While bookings took a hit in the early days of the pandemic, they’ve since grown beyond pre-COVID predictions, he noted, showing a clear demand for the service. For Peg City, the number of hours vehicles were booked exceeded expectations by about 40 per cent last summer, said Mikulec.

The public works committee will cast the first vote on the parking plan on Jan. 13.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga