Majority of Vancouver drivers say finding parking spot harder than 5 years ago

Do you find yourself more frequently circling the block/ lot / parkade trying to find a parking spot? You’re not alone.

A sizeable proportion of drivers in Metro Vancouver think it is tougher to find parking spots in the region, according to a new poll from Research Co.

In the online survey of a representative sample of Metro Vancouverites who drive to school or work on weekdays, 81% said it “moderately harder” or “much harder” to find a parking spot in their municipality when they need one.

Across Metro Vancouver, 18% of drivers say they have received a parking ticket from a municipality over the past two years, while 20% have received a ticket from a parking management company.

Parking fines being ignored

And while 76% of drivers say they quickly paid the fine from the last parking ticket they received from a municipality, only 51% of those who received a ticket from a parking management company behaved in the same fashion.

In addition, while 13% of drivers say they never paid the fine from the last ticket issued by a municipality, the proportion jumps to 34% for tickets issued by a parking management company.

“Some drivers are clearly not taking parking tickets seriously,” said Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “This is particularly significant among drivers aged 35-to-54, who are more likely to say they never pay any type of parking fine, compared with their younger and older counterparts.”

See also

• BC government says new 10-lane Massey Tunnel replacement bridge is 'too big'
• Remaining free street parking at Olympic Village now metered
• Granville Island will no longer offer free parking during peak hours