The Curb Access and Parking Plan includes five policy changes. These changes are based on global best parking management practices, alignment with City strategies, and solutions for the challenges that community members have shared.
| Change 1 |
Expand pay parking in high-demand areas to increase parking turnover and availability. |
| Current State |
Parking in many commercial areas is near 100% occupancy resulting in significant circling for parking or being unable to find a space to park. While time-limited restrictions were effective at managing demand decades ago, they are no longer working with the demand we are seeing today. |
| Anticipated Future State |
Demand is regulated through pricing, ensuring that each block hits a targeted occupancy (with a sweet spot of ~85%) so that a few spaces per block are available at any given time. |
| Change 2 |
Update the Resident and Visitor Parking Policy by expanding coverage and adjusting eligibility criteria and costs. |
| Current State |
The City’s Resident & Visitor Parking Policy is now 30 years old and no longer aligns with the types of housing and buildings being built, nor does it keep pace with the rate of growth and change in curb space demands. Under this policy, Resident Exempt (RE) permits are available to residents living in housing with three unit or and select older multi-family buildings only. |
| Anticipated Future State |
Regardless of housing type, parking permits are available for purchase for residents who need them. Permit rates will reflect demand and can be adjusted on a regular basis to balance demand and supply. |
| Change 3 |
Expand short-term loading zones for the efficient and safe movement of people and goods. |
| Current State |
The movement of people and goods has changed significantly since our streets were originally designed. There are more deliveries occurring because of online shopping and more ride-hailing trips being taken, requiring more short-term spaces to pick up and drop off passengers. Demand exceeds supply of loading zones, resulting in double parking where vehicles park in travel lanes, thereby creating unsafe conditions. |
| Anticipated Future State |
More loading zones for people and goods, in both residential and commercial areas, reducing double parking, and improving safety. |
| Change 4 |
Provide more accessible on-street parking spaces in close proximity to shops, services, and key destinations across the City. |
| Current State |
Accessible on-street parking for people with disabilities is irregular and occupied most of the time. There are now over 3,000 accessible parking permits issued in North Vancouver, with demand for accessible parking spaces across the City continuing to exceed supply, particularly near commercial streets. |
| Anticipated Future State |
Accessible parking is provided at regular intervals near shops and services, and turns over regularly. |
| Change 5 |
Enable unique, special-use parking to ensure a wide range of curbspace needs are achieved. |
| Current State |
There are many different needs for curb access. The majority of curb space currently serves private vehicle parking, limiting other curb uses that can encourage efficient ways to travel, contribute to local economic development, and reduce our carbon pollution and impact on the environment. |
| Anticipated Future State |
More space for unique parking needs. |
There are a number of ways that the City manages parking.
Time-limited Parking
- Applied as a tool to increase vehicle turnover in areas that are busy but do not warrant pay parking
- Vehicles allowed to park for the duration of time indicated on the sign (e.g., 2 hours) during the indicated time of day (e.g., 9AM-6PM)
- Vehicles allowed to park for an unlimited duration of time outside of the indicated time of day
Time-limited Parking Except with Permit
- Applied as a tool to increase vehicle turnover in busy areas while prioritizing nearby residents
- All vehicles allowed to park for the duration of time indicated on the sign (e.g., 2 hours) during the indicated time of day (e.g., 9AM-6PM)
- All vehicles allowed to park for an unlimited duration of time outside of the indicated time of day
- Registered vehicles with a resident parking permit do not need to adhere to the indicated time restriction and may park for up to 72 hours
Pay Parking
- Used to manage parking in areas of high demand by promoting short stays and increased turnover to benefit more people.
- Users pay to park for the amount of time needed at an hourly rate. Once paid, vehicles may park for an unlimited duration of time, as long as payment is made, during the indicated time of day (e.g., 9AM-9PM)
- Vehicles allowed to park free of charge for an unlimited duration of time outside of the indicated time of day
Pay Parking Except with Permit
- Used to manage parking in areas of high demand while prioritizing nearby residents.
- Registered vehicles with a resident parking permit do not need to pay to park and may park for up to 72 hours.
- Non-permit holders pay to park for the amount of time needed at an hourly rate. Once paid, vehicles may park for an unlimited duration of time, as long as payment is made, during the indicated time of day (e.g., 9AM-9PM)
- Vehicles allowed to park free of charge for an unlimited duration of time outside of the indicated time of day
Loading Zones
- Provide a dedicated space for vehicles to load and unload passengers and goods.
- Vehicles may stop in a loading zone for the duration of time indicated on the sign (e.g., 10 minutes), provided they are actively loading or unloading
Accessible Parking
- Provide priority or barrier-free parking spaces for vehicles displaying an accessible parking placard issued by the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC)
- Vehicles without a SPARC placard are not permitted to park in these spaces
The Curb Access and Parking Plan was developed in partnership with residents, business owners, and community groups.
The City conducted two phases of engagement to learn about the experiences and perspectives of those who live, work, and visit the City, identifying challenges and potential solutions to improve the lives of those who use our streets every day.
Why are we proposing changes to parking policy?
Many of our existing parking policies date back to the 1990s. Finding parking is a daily issue we hear from all of our community members including seniors, parents, business owners, and visitors. There is such high demand in many areas that community members need to continuously circle blocks looking for available space, leading to congestion, pollution, and strains on community member’s time.
The proposed Curb Access and Parking Plan will improve parking availability in our busy commercial and residential areas.
What changes does the Plan include?
The City is proposing adjustments to best manage parking demand across the City.
Busy commercial areas will see a transition towards more paid parking, allowing community member to pay only for the time they need, before moving on and letting others use this valuable space.
In residential areas, we are expanding eligibility for resident permits as they are effective at prioritizing resident parking while still allowing visitors parking for shorter stays.
In mixed-use areas, we will be introduce paid parking except with permit. This allows residents of the area to park with a permit, and others to pay for the time that they are using.
What does the proposed primary regulation mean for each block?
These areas will include a mix of paid parking, permit parking, and paid parking except with permit. In many cases, there will be a mix of regulations based on demand and close by uses. Examples:
- 100 Block E 1st is expected to have a mix of paid parking and paid parking except with permit, to support access to businesses and maintain priority for residents.
- 100 Block E 18th is expected to have pay parking up to the laneway off Lonsdale and transition to time-limited parking except with permit to maintain resident priority.
- 200 Block W 4th will primarily have time-limited parking except with permit to maintain resident priority.
There will continue to be loading zones, accessible spaces, and other curb uses as needed on each block.
What are the key proposed changes to Resident and Visitor Parking Policy?
Resident permits prioritize parking close to home for those that live in the area. Typically, these areas allow non-permit holders (such as visitors) to park for up to 2 hours during the day and early evening, with no restrictions overnight (9pm–9am).
Currently, community members in most multi-family buildings aren’t eligible for a parking permits. While some have off-street parking, many must walk long distances. By expanding eligibility and creating larger permit zones (instead of the block-by-block permit areas of today), more residents will be able to park closer to their homes.
Our visitor parking policy remains largely unchanged, providing space for contractors and rental vehicles, and hosting visitors and out-of-town guests. Homecare support workers will continue to be able to access these zones, just like today.
How much off-street residential parking is currently not used?
While most community members use the off-street parking—such as driveways, garages, and parking lots-- available to them, we know some is used for storage, home gyms or offices. Roughly 20% of off-street parking spaces in the City is not used for parking. If utilized, this could increase our on-street availability for those who do not have access to off-street parking.
How much off-street public pay parking is currently not used?
There are over 2000 paid, public parking spaces in off-street parking lots in Central and Lower Lonsdale. Even at our busiest times of year, there is typically up to 40% available parking spaces in our off-street paid parking lots.
What are the proposed paid parking costs?
Recommended parking rates are based on regional trends and local off-street prices. In the region, on-street parking typically costs $3.00–$6.00/hour, depending on demand. App service fees add $0.10–$0.30 per session. The current rate near Lions Gate Hospital is $2.25/hour.
To improve availability across our City, the first 30-minutes of parking would be free, followed by $1.00 for the next 30 minutes, and a $3.00/hour rate after that— still below off-street prices and within regional norms. This would include the first Cost adjustments, whether decreasing or increasing, may be made after the first year, based on demand. To ease in this transition, the first hour or parking would cost $1.00 until 2027.
What are the proposed permit parking costs?
Resident parking permits in the region range from $2.10/month to $39.65 per month, with CNV at the lowest rate of $2.10. In comparison, off-street parking in multi-unit buildings can cost up to $200/month in Lower and Central Lonsdale.
To better manage demand, on- and off-street parking should be seen as part of the same system. On-street spots are often more convenient, but if rates are too low, demand exceeds ideal levels and residents may struggle to find space. To encourage better use of off-street parking, staff recommend raising the base residential permit rate to $8.33/month ($0.27/day). This would be monitored through 2026 and adjusted in 2027 based on actual use.