"Very disappointing": Parking fees at three West Vancouver parks stir concern
Pay parking was introduced at three popular West Vancouver parks last week by the District of West Vancouver, but now some are sharing concerns about the changes.
Pay parking was introduced at Lighthouse Park, Whyte Lake/Nelson Canyon Park, and Whytecliff Park on Monday, February 12.
The parking is year-round between 7 am and 10 pm, seven days a week. The District of West Vancouver calls this rollout of pay parking an initial phase. Rates are $3.75 per hour, plus taxes and transaction fees.
For frequent park visitors wishing to save a little in the long run, District of West Vancouver residents can apply for an annual parking pass through Impark, which is the company managing the parking.
Our previous article about the situation received many comments of concern, and we also received an email from a resident who took issue with the parking system.
“Upon calling them, I have found the rate is actually much higher. It is $5.23 per hour, including taxes and fees. The fee includes a TransLink tax. Meanwhile, there is no transit available to the park,” a concerned visitor told Daily Hive.
They also claimed there’s no way to pay for parking without a cell phone, at least at Whytecliff Park.
“The park is frequented by seniors who do not always carry cell phones. Parking tickets are $98.”
They told Daily Hive there were no free spaces or discounts for people with disabilities.
“This sets a dangerous precedent to lock out the poor and elderly, and even just average working people from using parks.”
A comment on our previous article echoed that concern.
“You have to have a cell phone to pay for parking. Not everyone does like my husband. A lot of seniors do not own phones and don’t understand technology,” the comment stated.
We’ve reached out to West Vancouver to confirm these claims.
Other people chimed in with concerns.
“Just another excuse to tax everyone who tries to get out of their home and enjoy nature,” the comment said.
Some took issue with Impark being involved.
Very disappointing that you are giving away this money to monopoly @impark, instead of using it for municipal improvements. This ensures that visitors will be overcharged and receive outrageous fines while the impark CEO fills his pockets. #Monopoly #CorporateGreed #Criminals
— TicketMasterBlaster (@MagnificentBeav) February 14, 2024
“Zero common sense from the District of West Vancouver,” another comment stated.
Other comments also reflected on the idea of being taxed to leave the house.
The whole point of the fee was to gain revenue from folks who weren’t West Vancouver residents.
“The idea, ladies and gentlemen, is the primary source of revenue will be people who are not West Vancouver taxpayers who come into our community and use our facilities,” said West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager.
One user spun the mayor’s words, saying, “The idea, ladies and gentlemen, is to tax every activity outside your home. You are no good to society if you are not constantly paying the local, provincial, and federal governments money.”
We’ll update this story once we hear back from the district.
Follow Channels and Categories