PRICEY PARKING FOR CARS IN CAPITAL
A proposal to increase parking costs in central Wellington will put the city on par with Auckland’s Queen St and make it dearer than parts of Manhattan or central London.
The Wellington City Council proposal, to increase charges to $5 an hour, will be open to public consultation this week. The bulk of the central city will see a parking fee increase of 50 cents an hour – mostly to $5, but city fringe areas such as the area south of Vivian St or Cambridge Tce will rise to $3 or $4.
Public submitters this week will get to weigh in on that proposal as well as ones to increase weekend parking charges in the city, extend metered parking times, and introduce meters around parts of Oriental Bay and near Victoria University of Wellington.
It was previously reported the increases will make the council about $2 million a year.
Auckland Transport’s most expensive street parking is the area around Queen St, which costs $5 an hour for the first two hours and $10 an hour thereafter. Wellington has a two-hour limit.
The Christchurch City Council says most of its on-street metered parking is $3.10 an hour, but there were some $2 meters in the central city. Dunedin tops out at $4 an hour while Hamilton is free for two hours then $6 an hour after that.
The Hamilton free-parking trial was seen as a way to attract more
people into the centre of town and to promote business there.
Hamilton Central Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams said retailers hailed the trial, which was ongoing, as a success.
Internationally, lower Manhattan in New York charges the equivalent of NZ$6.26 for the first hour but rises to NZ$10.43 after that. But move to upper Manhattan and the hourly rate drops to NZ$3.48 for the first hour.
In London, parking in the West End costs the equivalent of NZ$9.68 an hour but Wellington’s new rate will be roughly on par with the area immediately south of Buckingham Palace and down the road from Downing St.
However, London’s congestion charge of £15 (NZ$29) makes the real cost of driving into and parking in London far higher.
Kiki Clarke, a central Wellington worker, understood the council’s rationale was to try to increase foot traffic and reduce cars but saw problems.
‘‘I don’t think it is very fair to penalise people who can’t afford to park in the city,’’ Clarke said.
Vance Vivian Menswear coowner Hamish Vance said the council was able to hike parking charges because it had got rid of so many parks but also because some parking buildings had been closed by earthquake issues.
Upper Hutt residents Jo and Derek Edson had to park two blocks away from the Michael Fowler Centre to attend their daughter’s Weltec graduation yesterday, a walk made harder by Derek’s wheelchair.
‘‘We don’t come into the city often,’’ Jo said. ‘‘It’s so hard to find parking, and it’s getting less affordable. Given there’s so little parking, it makes sense to put it up. But it’s the retailers that are the big losers.’’
Hataitai resident Grant Dennehy said the increase ‘‘would definitely make me think twice’’ about driving into the city.
‘‘It does drive me nuts,’’ he said. ‘‘We come to the city, and it’s so quiet and desolate. It seems to be a disincentive.’’
If adopted by the council, the new rates will come into effect for about 3300 metered parks in the central city on July 1. Council papers show the price increases were proposed to better reflect the cost of on-street parking and to better manage demand.
‘‘This contributes to the council goal of making the city more accessible. While the number of parks is reducing, the demand for parking space and the cost of maintaining them is increasing.’’
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster encouraged people to read all the relevant information and give their feedback.