APC Report on Parking in False Bay

Submitted by joseph on July 17, 2011 - 10:16pm

Advisory Planning Commission

The Regional District, by way of our Director, Merrick, requested that the APC take a look at the parking situation in False Bay and make some recommendations. The Local Trust Committee, with jurisdiction over land-use issues, instructed the APC to draft a report.

The APC held several meetings and a public consultation to gain a sense of what parking issues were most pressing and what solutions might be acceptable. The attached APC Report on Parking in False Bay provides a detailed summary of our discussions, along with some recommendations for further action.

An obvious place to start is with consciousness raising. To that end, we designed the attached tongue-in-cheek parking ticket with a summary of the report, to be distributed to cars parked in False Bay. These tickets are meant as a gentle reminder of Lasqueti's relative freedom from regulation and enforcement - a precious commodity worth some effort to protect, but in jeopardy when the community can't resolve a common-property issue like this one.

Please join the discussion - Post your Comments below...

Attachment	Size
APC Report on Parking	157.84 KB
Parking Ticket	159.3 KB

Get 'yer Parking Tickets

Submitted by joseph on July 17, 2011 - 10:55pm.

Ever wanted to be a traffic cop?
With a mitt full of "parking tickets" you can make that dream come true.
Only those with sufficiently developed sense of humour need apply :-)

Summary of APC report

Submitted by joseph on July 17, 2011 - 11:04pm.

Why is Parking a Problem in False Bay?

Insufficient “hourly” parking- residents wishing to frequent businesses in False Bay or do a pick-up / drop-off to the ferry often cannot find parking anywhere on False Bay Hill or Weldon Rd.
Insufficient short-term (daily) parking- residents wishing to make a one- to several-day to Vancouver Island often cannot find parking anywhere on False Bay Hill or Weldon Rd.
False Bay Hill is constricted between Weldon Rd. and the Arts Center -the curve in the road limits visibility and there is often barely room for two vehicles to pass, posing a safety issue for drivers, and especially pedestrians and cyclists along this stretch.
The South shoulder of False Bay Hill is meant to be a pedestrian path, from the Hotel right up to the Arts Center, but is often blocked by parked cars
Congestion at the base of False Bay Hill, around the gas pump, especially around Ferry arrival / departure times, poses serious hazards.
Vehicles parked on any public road for more than 30 days are considered abandoned, and would be towed away, at the owner’s expense, in any other jurisdiction.
Uninsured and unused / abandoned vehicles in False Bayare taking up limited parking spaces.
Contamination from road runoff - leaking fluids from parked and idling vehicles run down False Bay Hill and directly onto the beach and into the bay on the North side of the ferry dock. Many children and families use this beach for recreation.

What Can We Do About It?

Public Education Campaign – like the parking ticket and this discussion forum!
Increase Short-term Parking – extend 3-day parking zone or create a new 7- or 14-day zone
Designate Long-term Parking areas – move long-term parking outside of the immediate False Bay area
Use Ride Share / Taxi / “Valet” services – have a friend or neighbor drop you off or shuttle your car out of False Bay
Use a private parking space – the church or a resident in False Bay may rent you a space off the road
Don’t park on the bike / pedestrian path – enough said
“Small Cars Only” Zone at Weldon Rd. intersection – don’t park long vehicles that overhang onto the roadway
Improve traffic management around gas pump – park at the hotel instead of lining up on the roadway

Thanks

Submitted by Jess on July 20, 2011 - 3:45am.

Thanks to all of you who put such thought and time into this report. Kudos. It's clear and insightful, and I support all the recommendations of what we can do, with the addition of extending the pedestrial/bike lane to increase safety and visibility. Thanks again!

More information...

Submitted by Dan on July 22, 2011 - 4:16pm.

Good report! Clever "Parking Tickets"! :-)

Where can I find more information on:
: existing valet services - does anyone currently provide this? What is the cost (to/from Squitty area)?
: church parking lot - isn't there a waiting list for this? What is the cost?

As a part-timer, I'd be happy to see some of my Property Taxes go to a Long-term Parking Lot. Is there a suitable location? Seems that would solve the primary issues...

Thanks!

answers for Dan

Submitted by admin on July 23, 2011 - 4:32pm.

The "valet service" was an idea - lots of people do it for their neighbours and there was lots of interest in running a commercial service. We need someone to step forward here with a concrete plan - there are probably opportunities for several people living if different areas.
For the church lot, best to ask Pat Forbes.

Why did we get a parking lot?

Submitted by joseph on November 30, 2017 - 3:22pm.

This entire process and all of the careful consideration and planning done by the APC was subverted by one individual with sufficient political position to single-handedly spend community funds to flatten a forest and build a great big public parking area. This action was taken with no public consultation, and in full knowledge that the APC was currently working on the FB parking issue.
Expanding the supply of long-term parking in FB was an idea the APC had generally rejected because it failed to address the underlying issues. And indeed, in hindsight, that parking lot is a magnet for derelict vehicles, and has done almost nothing to alleviate the issues we were trying to address (aside from providing parking for the Market). Despite the lack of actual pavement, we near literally "paved paradise to put up a parking lot", and in doing so, subverted an open, democratic, process and perpetuated the problems associated with too much long-term parking in False Bay.
Oh yes, and we spent some $50K community grant money that could have been used to improve the hall, or the free store, or build a pool, or a washroom at the fire hall, or, or, or...!!

Why has there been no reckoning for this abuse of power?