The next time you plug coins in a parking meter you may have to have a little more jingle in your pocket.
That’s because meter fees could be doubling.
City politicians are set to discuss the hike when they sit down to discuss the budget this week, said Robert Fendrick, director of administrative services.
“One of the proposals before council is to double the fees of parking meters.”
The move would affect all 520 downtown parking meters, said Fendrick.
The meters’ primary purpose is to encourage traffic turnover, he added.
Raising parking meter fees isn’t a bad thing, but doubling rates is a little much, said Rick Karp, president of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.
A better move would be a slight increase in parking fees coupled with free parking on weekends, said Karp.
“I think double is a little excessive,” he said.
“In other jurisdictions, meters are used during the week to promote sales and are free on weekends.
“Perhaps there could be a balance between transit fees and parking meters.”
Last year, the city earned nearly a quarter of a million dollars in parking fees, said John Taylor, bylaw department manager.
“Last year we took in $253,000 in nickels, quarters and dimes,” he said.
Currently, it costs a nickel to park for six minutes, a dime to park for 10 and a quarter per half hour.
If it’s changed, a full hour will run you a buck.