MORE STUDY USEFUL

In the letter Council at odds (SP, Jan. 23), the writer notes an apparent conflict between the desire to create more parking spaces downtown and allowing some parking spaces to be used for sidewalk cafes or parklets.

The number of parking stalls that would be taken out of circulation for this purpose is relatively minor compared to those left available, and the goal of attracting visitors and residents to the downtown is important to accommodate the needs of a growing city.

To this end, city council is also proposing to relax the downtown building height restriction. However, the continued existence of surface parking lots severely limits the city’s ability to achieve this goal. Therefore, a new parking study is needed to address the problems of a growing population and the need to intensify space use downtown.

Council has commissioned previous parking studies, but it has always resisted the concept of market-driven pricing (fees based on the desirability of location) and the construction of public parkades — the latter due to the high capital and operating costs.

However, the future is upon us, and higher parking fees are inevitable. The alternative is a low-density city and the continuation of urban sprawl. So let’s hope that the new parking study will come up with some intelligent proposals and councillors will have the courage to act on these. John J. Penner Saskatoon