Some Winnipeggers are suffering from sticker shock after permits to park on their home streets doubled in price.
Eileen Cormack said she was surprised to see her annual residential parking permit increased to $50 from $25, when she arrived to pay.
“I guess I can understand why they’re charging us but to increase it 100 per cent? What benefit is that giving me?” she said.
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Annual City of Winnipeg residential parking permits increased in price from $25 to $50, irking some residents.
With the Misericordia Health Centre and Mulvey School nearby, the resident said her home street often resembles a parking lot.
Cormack said she could understand a smaller one-year hike but is annoyed the increase was so steep, noting the pass doesn’t guarantee a parking space.
“Most of us pay our amount per year, in the hope that if there’s a day (we) want to park … on my street, (we) can. Many other days, I can’t,” she said.
“If everybody started doubling (the charge for) whatever I pay them, I would be in big trouble,” said Cormack.
The passes apply in areas with high demand for on-street parking. While visitors who don’t live in the areas can park for free for a limited time, residents who buy the passes are exempt from the time limit.
The fee hikes were approved in the 2024 city budget but did not take effect until June 1, with people recently being charged the higher rates.
Before the hike, annual residential parking permits cost $25 each, with each home able to apply for up to three. The city now charges $50 for a first permit per household, $75 for a second and $200 for a third.
Coun. Cindy Gilroy said she’s received multiple complaints about the fee hike on social media.
“There’s general unhappiness. (It’s feedback) that this isn’t fair, this is a high cost and it’s a huge increase. They didn’t just increase it a little bit, they increased it by a lot, so it’s very hard for people to adjust to that,” said Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre).
The councillor, who opposed the increase, said it primarily affects inner-city areas, where residents are more likely to earn lower incomes.
“It really is kind of a tax on inner-city residents … And the reason why they have (the permits) is because other people park on their street,” she said.
Gilroy would prefer the city charge visiting drivers, instead of residents, to park on the streets in question, or at least reverse the permit cost hike.
Supporters of the increase expect it to help deter on-street parking and encourage greater use of driveways, garages and other alternatives.
Coun. Jeff Browaty, chairman of finance, said some people reportedly rent out parking spots to visitors in their private yards and driveways, while using their residential permit to park on the street, which the city also hopes to discourage.
“Anecdotally, we know that happens in some areas, particularly around hospitals,” said Browaty (North Kildonan).
He stressed the new fees are still relatively affordable.
“I appreciate it was a fairly big jump, all at once. That said … it’s still not a huge amount of money and we do encourage people, wherever possible, to park off street,” said Browaty.
Prior to the hikes, the fees had been frozen since 2006, which Browaty said prevented the revenue from covering the full cost of administering the permit program.
Demand for the permits so far does not appear to have changed.
The city has sold 2,817 of the residential parking permits since the new rate took effect, which is on track to match typical annual sales of about 3,200, said city spokesman Adam Campbell.
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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