Alderman suggests park-and-ride deal

Calgary Ald. Bob Hawkesworth wants the city to offer commuters a deal on monthly parking at park-and-ride transit lots.

Hawkesworth will bring a notice of motion to city council on Monday to look at the logistics of giving people who buy a monthly transit pass the opportunity to buy a discounted monthly parking permit.

He said the bundling would work out cheaper for drivers.

"So the two would go together," explained Hawkesworth on Friday. "They'd be packaged in one and if they were to say buy it for $20 or $30 for a month of parking, that would be much less than paying $3 a day."

It costs $3 per weekday to park in LRT and bus rapid transit lots, a charge that was implemented to help raise $6 million for Calgary Transit and security upgrades.

Overwhelming public opposition greeted the charge when it was introduced in March, but several attempts by aldermen to cut or abolish the fee have failed at council, largely because the motions would have required reopening the budget debate.

However, the parking charge was eliminated for nights, weekends and holidays.

Hawkesworth said he's introducing his motion because he's received many complaints about commuters parking their cars on neighbourhood streets to avoid the parking fee.

He believes it has a better chance of passing because it would not require addressing the city budget.