Kamloops council to vote on $100k downtown parking study

Nov 3, 2017 | 4:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — City of Kamloops staff are asking council to approve a comprehensive, 20-year study of the parking needs in the downtown core.

Corporate Services and Community Safety Director David Duckworth says the study would set the framework for future infrastructure or policy changes.

“This would be the first time we’ve done a really comprehensive study,” Duckworth said.

“It will include looking at other municipalities and best practices, it will be looking at our rates compared to other municipalities, it will be looking at ways to encourage who commute downtown to work to take transit as opposed to taking their vehicles.”

“It’s really looking at a 20-year plan. So over the next 20 years, what additional work does the City need to do to provide adequate parking, not just for patrons of the downtown, but as well as employers with employees that need to work downtown.”

The study’s price tag is estimated at $100,000.

Staff are proposing the money come from the Downtown Parking Infrastructure Reserve Fund, which is fed by surplus revenue after parking kiosks and bylaw enforcement costs are taken care of.

Duckworth says this would be the first time a study has been contracted out to dedicated consultants.

“In the past, a lot of the work was done by City staff, just based on the information that we had. A lot of things have changed over the last five years, and it’s just an opportune time now to look at, for example, some best practices should the City consider building another parkade in the future.”

Council will be asked to vote on the proposal at next Tuesday’s regular meeting.