Vancouver council approves downtown parking code changes, with study before expanding weekend enforcement north of Evergreen

The Vancouver City Council on May 19 approved an ordinance amending Vancouver Municipal Code (VMC) sections related to downtown parking, including higher maximum fees for on-street permits and meters, revised carpool-permit eligibility and hours, and removal of the Saturday/Sunday exemption for paid on-street parking in the initial enforcement area south of Evergreen Boulevard.

The ordinance implements parts of the council-adopted Downtown Access and Mobility (parking) Plan to manage on-street supply and turnover. Councilmembers said data show high weekend occupancy in the core downtown and asked staff to return with a written Phase 2 study, mitigation options and regular reporting before any weekend enforcement north of Evergreen is implemented.

Gabriel Montez, parking district manager, told the council the code package is intended to give staff flexibility to set rates and update permit rules while the city evaluates outcomes. Montez said the specific proposed code changes include lowering carpool permit qualification from four carpool days to two; changing permitted carpool hours to broaden eligibility (current morning peak hours were described during the hearing as 7 a.m.–9 a.m., with the proposal to allow a broader eligible window); raising the maximum carpool monthly fee cap from $30 to $100; removing the employment requirement for on-street permits and raising the maximum monthly on-street permit cap from $100 to $200; removing the…