Pay parking revenues from Whistler’s day lots aren’t meeting the targets set out by municipal planners so far.

About $220,000 has been generated since pay parking came into effect in Day Lots 1 through 3 on June 28, Bob MacPherson, the municipality’s general manager of community life, told Whistler council at Tuesday’s (Aug. 17) regular meeting.

“We certainly have some revenue challenges at this point,” he said.

In July, about 71 per cent of projected revenue was collected, and August is on track to see only about 60 per cent of what was anticipated, MacPherson said. September’s revenue projection looks “very ambitious,” he added.

Part of the problem is that fewer visitors than expected are buying a full day’s parking at the $12 daily summer rate. The average purchase at the pay stations is $6, MacPherson said, and many first-time visitors are buying just one hour of parking.

Councillors asked questions or raised concerns about how such shorter stays are potentially impacting merchants and restaurant operators in the Village.

Councillor Grant Lamont said he’s had conversations with merchants who are concerned about the trend toward shorter stays, while Councillor Ralph Forsyth asked about how more people using the free parking in Lot 4 might be changing how people flow through the Village.

Councillor Eckhard Zeidler said on the surface, the shorter parking times would suggest that perhaps the behaviour of visitors is changing in the way they use Whistler’s shops and restaurants. He asked MacPherson to keep a close eye on the trend.

Options are being explored to help people add more time to their parking without having to return to the lots, such as installing a pay station in the Village core and providing the option to pay by cell phone, MacPherson said. The goal is to introduce pay-by-cell this fall.

MacPherson said some things in the new pay parking system are working well. There’s a high level of compliance, the enforcement equipment is working well and checking to make sure people have paid is taking less time than expected.

Village Host volunteers have been collecting feedback from visitors on the new pay parking system. Common feedback includes questions about why parking isn’t free anymore, people looking for change so they can pay with coins instead of credit card, people looking for overnight parking and people who want to add more time to their parking, MacPherson said.

Another update on pay parking will come to council in early October, he said. In the meantime, the revenue model and budget for Lots 1 to 3 will be reworked, he added.

Transit stats reported

The performance standards for Whistler’s transit service that council has been seeking from B.C. Transit are now being measured and tracked.

Manuel Achadinha, B.C. Transit’s CEO, made a presentation to council on some recent statistics and performance indicators for the local public bus system.

Operational performance is being tracked weekly, he said, and improvements have already been seen in the Whistler system. In 2009, 88 per cent of Whistler Transit buses arrived on time. So far this year, that number has risen to 93 per cent, Achadinha said.

Customer comments most frequently relate to Whistler Transit routes, and Achadinha said many people have asked that the service go back to the different routes offered during the 2010 Olympics. He also presented stats on which routes generate the most fare revenue and said a route review is needed.

The cost per ride for Whistler Transit is $4.19 and the cost recovery is just 8.9 per cent — likely because of the free Village shuttle service, he said. The low cost recovery is a “flag,” Achadinha said.

On the plus side, fare-box revenue is “way up” so far this year — from April to July it has increased almost 36 per cent, he said. Achadinha said he thinks the increase is from people who experienced transit during the Games and are continuing to use the service.

GranFondo logistics discussed

Council expressed enthusiastic support for the GranFondo mass cycling race coming to Whistler on Sept. 11, but commuters should be aware that the event will likely cause some headaches. Thanks to a council motion on Tuesday, however, people in Whistler will still be able to access free day parking.

The race, which will see 4,000 cyclists ride from downtown Vancouver to Whistler Village, will take up a dedicated lane along the Sea to Sky Highway and fully take over Lot 4 in Whistler. The race/ride starts at 7 a.m. in Vancouver and most riders will arrive in Whistler by 2 p.m., said Neil McKinnon, co-founder of GranFondo Canada.

While council voted unanimously to approve a special liquor licence that will allow alcohol to be served in the parking lot on Sept. 11, a separate vote directed municipal staff to provide free parking in Day Lot 3 while Lot 4 is closed to parking for the event.

GranFondo organizers are designing Lot 4 to be a “Finish Plaza” with a stage, live music, family fun area, food and beverage stands, massage tents, a bike corral and more, according to a municipal staff report. Activities in Lot 4 are expected to wrap up around 5 p.m.

Zeidler introduced the motion that when Lot 4 is being used for a special event, an equal number of spots should be provided for free in Lot 3. Several councillors spoke in support of the motion, saying the free parking promised to Whistler residents should be provided.

MacPherson said offering two days of free parking in Lot 3 would represent about $10,000 in lost pay parking revenue. Instead of establishing alternate free parking, municipal staff members were looking into offering two days of free transit to coincide with the GranFondo — an initiative that would cost about $7,000 by comparison, he said.

Mayor Ken Melamed was the only one to vote against the motion to provide alternate free parking, saying council’s previous decision to offer ongoing free parking in Day Lots 4 and 5 was “ill advised.” Nobody wants to pay for parking, Melamed said, but he believes Lot 4 should be pay parking as well.