This article was previously published on GuelphToday.
Paid parking in Downtown Elora and Fergus? It just makes sense — and cents.
It will be necessary to put any sort of dent into one of the more irritating parts of being a tourist town: finding a place to park.
But creating those parking spots costs money.
If you’ve spent enough time in the area, everyone has experienced driving in endless circles looking for a parking spot in Downtown Elora or Fergus as you wonder how there could possibly be so many people there on a Tuesday. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find a spot in one of the municipal lots. If you found one on the street in front of the store you’re planning to go to during peak tourist season, buy a lottery ticket.
Addressing the lack of parking is likely one of the few things area residents universally agree on, and the yet-to-be-approved parking master plan identified a need for 170 more spots in Downtown Elora and 140 in Downtown Fergus by 2041.
But that same document called for the addition of paid parking on the streets and in lots.
This caused a predictable uproar on community Facebook groups, with some declaring this to be a business killer.
But parking spots won’t magically appear.
The only way to do that is with parking lots or garages and that’s not going to come cheap. The master plan estimated the cost of land and construction cost for a parking structure adding the necessary number of spaces in Elora at between $5.7 million and $8.5 million. In Fergus it's between and $4.7 million and $7 million. And let’s be real, it’s not going to be the lower-end of the price estimate.
The onus of paying for that to be entirely on taxes, debt and the hope for an infrastructure grant isn’t realistic. Generating some revenue through paid parking is a logical way to address that and the master plan estimates it could add an additional $1.4 million between the towns. That kind of revenue could put a dent into paying for a future garage or beefing up the weekend shuttle service the township provides during the summer months.
It also means visitors who don’t pay taxes but significantly add to the parking problem have to chip in too.
How many of these visitors come to Elora after reading on a Toronto-based blog about this charming little village that will make you feel like you’re in Europe just an hour drive away, only to come take some photos for their social media, explore the Gorge and then go home having not spent a dollar?
It’s probably not zero. Isn’t it only fair that they at least contribute a few dollars toward parking?
It’s understandable that locals aren’t going to love this change but paid parking may also lead some to really consider if they need to bring a car or if they can walk, bike or get dropped off.
Addressing the parking problem isn’t just about adding more spaces but also encouraging less cars on the road in general. Unfortunately, that falls on residents.
The idea this will kill downtown businesses is overly dramatic. Locals who want to support local will still do so, a few extra dollars or a longer walk from home isn’t going to stop them.
Is the plan perfect? No, but improvements can be found throughout the process. Does the township need to figure something out for those who live downtown and don’t have a parking spot? Absolutely, but it’s probably going to come at a cost for them eventually.
This situation feels like another chapter in Centre Wellington’s growing pains as it slowly moves away from being a small town, at least in the literal sense. Free parking isn't meant to last, the cost of it in the future will be too high.
Change is coming and make sure you bring some with you for the parking meter.
