Parking levy?

Sonic Death Monkey · 21-03-2012, 12:56 PM

Just saw this idea being floated in Toronto to use a parking levy to pay for subway expansion:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2376532/

I'm not sure if Edmonton's ever had such a system, but would that work here to pay for transportation infrastructure: transit, LRT expansion, road construction, bridge construction, etc?

Can parking meter revenue be diverted for such purposes if it's not being done so already?

Perhaps an extra levy on parking lots would be another incentive for land owners in the core to develop them.

I own a parking stall in my building and I already a property tax for it. I personally would support paying a bit more tax on it if it went towards things like LRT expansion.

whynow99 · 21-03-2012, 02:41 PM

We already pay road/transportation tax (+GST) on every litre of fuel we purchase. No need to pay anymore.

Just do an audit on how many committees and appearances our MLAs are paid extra for, but do not attend, especially during their normal working hours.

Money is cocaine to Governments.......the more they get the more they grab.

"a man making an honest wage, does honest work"

bolo · 21-03-2012, 03:34 PM

^The first step should always be to curb government waste and corruption, don't think anyone would argue otherwise. But that aside, for extra LRT funding...

They should raise the road/transportation tax on fuel. That would help encourage public transit use, less driving and more fuel efficient cars. I'm kind of ashamed that I have a big car with a big engine and I probably would have made a smarter choice if fuel taxes were higher.

Parking levy is a decent idea as well. It would also encourage businesses to build smarter and avoid the sea of empty parking stalls that we see in places like SEC. Don't think it would work for residential parking. For a 2 car garage, is that 2 stalls or do you count the driveway pad as well (meaning 4 or 6 stalls)? It's probably best left to businesses for now.

moahunter · 21-03-2012, 03:39 PM

What exactly is this idea? Is it a per stall levy that any commerical anywhere in the city would have to pay? That's an interesting idea that would hammer places like SEC, and many industrial businesses. In the downtown, I expect the cost would just get passed on to those who pay for stalls anyway.

Sonic Death Monkey · 21-03-2012, 03:51 PM

I'm not exactly sure what Toronto is proposing. But I would think it would be parkades and Impark lots at the very least. In the case of condos, it would be each stall. Essentially, if someone gets a tax bill for a piece of property that is defined/zoned as parking then it gets the levy.

MXV · 22-03-2012, 08:03 AM

Edmonton's long overdue for a parking authority like Calgary, where it's all under one umbrella, as opposed to all of these private lots. Then parking fees and violation fines can be applied to whatever the City deems worthy, as opposed to Impark and the other private lots attempting to go after people with bill collectors and such.

highlander · 22-03-2012, 12:50 PM

I'd rather see electronic tolls on freeways, increased gas taxes or property taxes as ways to raise money for transit. I couldn't support a targeted tax on something that is mandated in zoning bylaws. Ideally the city wouldn't require anyone to have parking, then the city could consider taxing parking.

In my imaginary world where the city wants to reduce parking, a tax is a better method than hard caps,

MXV · 22-03-2012, 01:04 PM

If you're trying to encourage public transit, which Calgary has done, the only way to shift people from one method to another is to price parking accordingly. Don't tax the average motorist, but target the ones who need to shift their focus...thus, increase downtown parking costs at the benefit of fast-tracking LRT and BRT.

21-03-2012, 12:56 PM	#1
Sonic Death Monkey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Downtown	Parking levy? Just saw this idea being floated in Toronto to use a parking levy to pay for subway expansion: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2376532/ I'm not sure if Edmonton's ever had such a system, but would that work here to pay for transportation infrastructure: transit, LRT expansion, road construction, bridge construction, etc? Can parking meter revenue be diverted for such purposes if it's not being done so already? Perhaps an extra levy on parking lots would be another incentive for land owners in the core to develop them. I own a parking stall in my building and I already a property tax for it. I personally would support paying a bit more tax on it if it went towards things like LRT expansion. __________________ “You have to dream big. If we want to be a little city, we dream small. If we want to be a big city, we dream big, and this is a big idea.” - Mayor Stephen Mandel, 02/22/2012

21-03-2012, 02:41 PM	#2
whynow99 Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Apr 2009	We already pay road/transportation tax (+GST) on every litre of fuel we purchase. No need to pay anymore. Just do an audit on how many committees and appearances our MLAs are paid extra for, but do not attend, especially during their normal working hours. Money is cocaine to Governments.......the more they get the more they grab. "a man making an honest wage, does honest work" __________________ Dave Rutherford is a small, small person....sucking up to get a Government appointment obviously.

21-03-2012, 03:51 PM	#5
Sonic Death Monkey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Downtown	I'm not exactly sure what Toronto is proposing. But I would think it would be parkades and Impark lots at the very least. In the case of condos, it would be each stall. Essentially, if someone gets a tax bill for a piece of property that is defined/zoned as parking then it gets the levy. __________________ “You have to dream big. If we want to be a little city, we dream small. If we want to be a big city, we dream big, and this is a big idea.” - Mayor Stephen Mandel, 02/22/2012

21-03-2012, 03:34 PM	#3
bolo Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jan 2011	^The first step should always be to curb government waste and corruption, don't think anyone would argue otherwise. But that aside, for extra LRT funding... They should raise the road/transportation tax on fuel. That would help encourage public transit use, less driving and more fuel efficient cars. I'm kind of ashamed that I have a big car with a big engine and I probably would have made a smarter choice if fuel taxes were higher. Parking levy is a decent idea as well. It would also encourage businesses to build smarter and avoid the sea of empty parking stalls that we see in places like SEC. Don't think it would work for residential parking. For a 2 car garage, is that 2 stalls or do you count the driveway pad as well (meaning 4 or 6 stalls)? It's probably best left to businesses for now.

21-03-2012, 03:39 PM	#4
moahunter Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	What exactly is this idea? Is it a per stall levy that any commerical anywhere in the city would have to pay? That's an interesting idea that would hammer places like SEC, and many industrial businesses. In the downtown, I expect the cost would just get passed on to those who pay for stalls anyway.

22-03-2012, 08:03 AM	#6
MXV Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2011	Edmonton's long overdue for a parking authority like Calgary, where it's all under one umbrella, as opposed to all of these private lots. Then parking fees and violation fines can be applied to whatever the City deems worthy, as opposed to Impark and the other private lots attempting to go after people with bill collectors and such.

22-03-2012, 12:50 PM	#7
highlander Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Highlands/North Edge Commuter	I'd rather see electronic tolls on freeways, increased gas taxes or property taxes as ways to raise money for transit. I couldn't support a targeted tax on something that is mandated in zoning bylaws. Ideally the city wouldn't require anyone to have parking, then the city could consider taxing parking. In my imaginary world where the city wants to reduce parking, a tax is a better method than hard caps,

22-03-2012, 01:04 PM	#8
MXV Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2011	If you're trying to encourage public transit, which Calgary has done, the only way to shift people from one method to another is to price parking accordingly. Don't tax the average motorist, but target the ones who need to shift their focus...thus, increase downtown parking costs at the benefit of fast-tracking LRT and BRT.