Tofino’s pay parking plan breezed through its first town hall event without any stones cast from its Zoom-based attendees.
The district plans to introduce pay parking at local beaches for the first time since 2007 and is ambitiously aiming to put that plan in place this summer.
Residents of Tofino and neighbouring First Nations will receive a free annual pass for the first year, while Alberni Clayoquot Regional District residents, including Ucluelet, Electoral Area C and Port Alberni, will be charged $60. Anyone living outside the ACRD will be charged $120. Hourly rates for non-pass-holders have not yet been finalized.
Along with additional town halls planned for the coming weeks, the district has also launched a new email address at parking@tofino.ca to collect and respond to questions and feedback from community members.
Tofino’s director of infrastructure and public works Fraser Work began the May 28 town hall event with a presentation running through why the district believes pay parking is needed and how it’s expected to be administered and then responded to questions that had been submitted.
He said the most frequent question was around whether residents of Tofino and neighbouring First Nations would be able to park at their local beaches for free.
“The recommendation right now and the intent right now is that Tofino residents and local First Nations will have access to free annual parking passes,” he said.
He said the district had also received feedback regarding its proposed four-hour maximum parking limit and said that limit is being reconsidered.
“I think that there’s a strong argument out there for longer stays,” he said. “I would say right now I’m not, nor would I recommend being, dead-set on a four-hour time limit for any user group.”
READ MORE: Tofino home to one of Canada’s best beaches
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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READ MORE: Tofino set to charge for parking at beaches
