Solving parking issues is what we do

It’s not just rising gas prices that are irritating drivers these days. Drivers in Calgary and Toronto also have the highest parking rates in the country putting a dent in their pockets.

An annual survey by Colliers International found that, on average, it costs drivers in Calgary $350 a month to park and go.

Torontonians don’t have it quite as bad. Parking in the city was estimated at $301.85 a month.

Drivers in Saskatoon have it the best. Their monthly parking rates are the cheapest at $124.55.

The five most expensive parking districts in Canada are: (All figures in Canadian dollars)
Calgary: $350.00/month
Toronto: $301.85/month
Montreal: $262.09 per month
Vancouver: $209.05 per month
Ottawa: $195.00 per month

Parking rates have forced some people in Calgary to rethink the way they do business.

Geoff Pieroway said he’s increasingly meeting his clients outside the downtown core to avoid the hefty parking costs, even though he has lived and worked in the city for the past ten years.

“We’ve had a lot of success with that,” Pieroway told CTV Calgary. “If we’re going to have a nice strategy meeting, maybe going out to their place or out to a local area around them.”

Colliers International, a global real estate company, said monthly parking rates have increased 8.1 per cent over the past year. During the same period, daily rates went up 7.4 per cent.

The rates are determined based on supply and demand. Simply, there are more drivers who need the parking spaces than there are spots available.

Costs are expected to rise again in the next year.

Madeleine King, a Calgary alderman, said costs are simply following the market trend.

“We follow the market trends and of course, downtown parking is very constrained and that’s why it’s gone up and up and up but at what point does it become gouging?” she said.

Heather Douglas, the president of Calgary’s Chamber of Commerce, agreed it was a consequence of the city’s economic and population boom but said more needs to be done to help drivers.

She said the chamber will pitch a creative idea to city council that deals with short-term parking issues.

“We’re calling on City Hall to extend the free zone for transportation to Stampede Park and the zoo, so people that are coming down for maybe an hour-long meeting, could park there and ride the C-train for free,” she told Makrugin.

If you thought Canadians had it bad, the study also shows parking rates for major cities around the world can be just as pricey.

It costs motorists in London an average US$63.68 a day to park. On a monthly basis, it costs them $1198 to park. Tokyo had a highly daily rate at $84.20 but the monthly parking cost is $702.

Here are typical parking costs for cities around the world: (All figures in American dollars)
London, City: $63.68 per day / $1198.00 per month
London, West End: $63.68 per day / $1162.00 per month
Tokyo: $84.20 per day / $702.00 per month
Sydney: $45.83 per day / $688.00 per month
Hong Kong: $25.75 per day / $682.00 per month
Midtown Manhattan: $42 per day / $630.00 per month
Moscow: $50.00 per day / $620.00 per month
Zurich: $32.00 per day / $487.00 per month
Paris: $36.45 per day / $324.00 per month
Munich: $27.00 per day / $314.00 per month
Toronto: $20.00 per day / $301.85 per month
Frankfurt: $20.00 per day / $257.00 per month