I do empathize with Renée Latte, but she knew what she was bargaining for when she moved to a street with permit parking, and the whole idea of living in a denser neighbourhood is that she wouldn't need to use a car as much in the first place. Maybe instead of leaving her car on the street all day it'll encourage her to pay for a spot in her building's lot, thus freeing up that spot on the street for someone else who needs it more.
In the most expensive parking areas—that is to say, in RPZs C (Beltline), AAA (Bridgeland), D (Ramsay), G (Bridgeland), GG (South Calgary), J (Mission/Cliff Bungalow/Rideau Park/Roxboro), K (Hillhurst), L (Sunnyside), LL (Inglewood), M (Crescent Heights), O (Richmond/Bankview), P (Bankview/Sunalta/Connaught/Mount Royal), SNA (Sunalta), V (Renfrew), W (Hounsfield Heights/Briar Hill), Z (West Hillhurst) and ZZ (Erlton)—there is an underlying issue at hand as well: there isn't enough street frontage to accommodate all the residents of ≥4-storey, ≥20-unit apartment buildings parking a car on the street anyway. They won't all physically fit. And part of what had made finding street parking in these areas difficult for these residents in the first place is that the parking permits were free and handed out like candy. Why pay $100/mo. for a spot in the building's parkade if you could get a street permit for free?
My parents live in an apartment in Windsor Park (RPZs I & BEW) and parking on the street anywhere near their building is a pain in the ass. However, their building's parkade is usually >70% empty. It's absurd how unoccupied it is. If having to pay $75/mo. for street parking makes the residents use their own parking facilities: good. So much the better. It'll ameliorate the situation for everyone.
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