A new mid-town park-and-ride option opened up for commuters on Tuesday, part of a goal of reducing demand on downtown parking.
In a joint project between the Downtown Victoria Business Association, Robbins Parking and BC Housing, 40 spots are now available at 2915 Douglas St. at Topaz Avenue, beside the former Super 8 Motel that is now a transitional housing facility. A possible 17 more spots may open up in the future.
Park-and-ride users can buy a monthly pass from Robbins and the $125 fee will include a monthly bus pass. A portion of the revenue from the passes will go to BC Housing.
“It’s a win-win-win,” said DVBA executive director Jeff Bray. “If you take 50 monthly parkers and find convenient alternatives for them, and those downtown spots can now get used hourly, maybe used three times per day, that’s 150 spots that have opened up.”
This is the second park-and-ride option put together by the DVBA. The first pilot project, on Francis Street behind Hotel Zed, offered 34 spots that Bray said were quickly taken up.
“We clearly saw a demand,” he said.
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The DVBA and City of Victoria are keen to find more parking solutions.
Last fall the City started a pilot project that offered parking passes ranging from $90 to $100 that would allow permit holders to park in certain time-limited zones on the street, further out of the downtown core. The aim is to open up more short-term parking spaces in downtown City parkades.
City staff say the program is going well and that 40 such passes have been sold.