Parking in Vancouver 101

You never realize how complex the parking rules and logisitics are in this city compared to others until you have to try to explain it to someone new. While waiting in line to purchase yearly parking permits at City Hall, I heard frustrated newcomers fanning handfuls of tickets trying to understand how this terrible thing happened to them.

There were some pretty basic no-nos, like don't park in the wrong direction, even if you have a permit and are in front of your house. In this town (if not the entire country), it's not allowed as it confuses drivers and can cause accidents, even though I admit it is tempting to pull in the wrong way in an available spot instead of doing a three point turn in an alley to go back and claim it. I've seen it done in European countries so it must not be that problematic, but that's just the way it is here. Also, don't park an uninsured car on the street--it's illegal and City Hall won't issue you a parking permit until you have proof of insurance.

A few weeks ago while we were watching the fireworks from near Lighthouse Park this summer, we spoke with a cheerful Norwegian family, who were laughing at themselves for parking incorrectly at Kits Beach that day and spending half the day trying to find their car after it had been towed away. I felt badly for their unpleasant initiation to Vancouver parking.

Actually, given that I'm a very reluctant parallel parker, I have to look even harder for any spots. So I thought I'd share a few "rules" or guidelines that might help you avoid being ticketed or worse yet, towed. Although, the best advice I can offer is to take transit wherever possible.

RULE #1 - STUDY THE SIGNS CAREFULLY
After 25 years in this city, I admit I still have to puzzle out some signs while parking. It seems there are plenty of unmined parking spots due to confusing multiple signage, so if you just slow down and pull in to study the clusters of signs growing out of the poles, it's usually the case that you CAN park there as many spots are available between rush hours. When in doubt though, you can ask a local for help for sign interpretation.

For example, this weekend we were leaving Kits Pool and just outside the Starbuck's on Cornwall a woman who said she wasn't from here asked us to explain the signs to her. In front of us were two signs bolted together: NO PARKING EXCEPT WITH PERMIT and NO STOPPING BETWEEN 9:30-5:00 Mon-Fri and a TEMPORARY NO PARKING EVENT sign zap strapped to a pole. So my husband, explained patiently that this means that if you HAVE a parking permit, (issued by the City for $50/year for the privilege of parking on your own street), you can't stop/park there between those hours. Except on the dates indicated on the event sign, which was leftover from the Festival of Lights and wasn't valid anymore. So we pointed out that she COULD park further up the street where the signs indicated 2 HR. PARKING EXCEPT WITH PERMIT, which means you could park there for two hours unless you own a permit for that area in which case you can park there as much as you like. Unfortunately, unless he owned a SmartCar she wouldn't be able to squeeze into the available spot.

Since she said she wasn't from here, I didn't mind telling her where we were about to leave our parking spot in one of those coveted secret spots that only locals know about, but she declined saying that it was too far for her and her kids. So we suggested she move her car from the PARKING WITH PERMIT ONLY spot, which would guarantee her car to be towed shortly (presumably without the kids inside) to the paid lot and for $2.50/hour or $10 for the day, she could park stress free. We neglected to tell her about the metered parking up and down Yew Street which is only $2.00/hour and great if you're not going to be there more than two hours as there's nothing available in the afternoon. Also, telling her getting to popular places before noon pretty much guarantees you parking, Granville Island being the exception, would be pointless because it wasn't quite noon yet and she had a small window of time left before there would be no parking spaces available.

We didn't tell her that sometimes the parking machines wouldn't take credit cards, or coins and sometimes the ticket printer was out of paper and that paying by cell phone was a 5 to 10 minute ordeal, nor did we tell her she'd better decide quickly before she got a ticket and/or the lot filled up--too much pressure. We walked to our secret spot (no, I won't reveal where that is or it wouldn't be a secret anymore) and there were plenty of spots still available for up to two hours of parking.

My husband pointed out as we were pulling away, that on rainy weekends the residents haven't yet got up for the day clearing the 2 Hour PARKING EXCEPT WITH PERMIT spots, but on sunny days there are more spots available in the morning before the afternoon risers start making there way to the parks and pools.

RULE #2 - WALK A FEW BLOCKS
If you're not willing to walk a bit you're not going to find free or possibly any parking here. There are, in fact, sign-free streets, which means there are no time or parking restrictions, but you're going to have to be prepared to walk a block or two from a main street, like Broadway or West 4th, or even Granville Island. This doesn't include downtown, although there is metered parking that frees up after 6 pm and plenty of parkades. I do know of one parkade that doesn't ticket but I still pay and that location is a deathbed secret.

The way I find some free spots is from merely paying attention to the signs when I walk and make a mental note of where and when parking is available, or when I'm driving to a paid parking spot I might veer off a few blocks and explore for any free potential.

RULE #3 - USE NOTES
We offer a free parking spot to friends and family behind our house. We can do because we have two permits and can park one car on the street. It's a critical spot for when work is being done to the complex we live in. We've never had anyone park there unauthorized but we wouldn't hesitate to tow someone if they did have the nerve to park there. Unless they posted a note on their windshield explaining their transgression. We live near the hospital, so we'd probably be kind-hearted to someone who had to park there because there was nowhere else and their loved one had just been rushed to hospital. To which we would reply, "There's always parking at the Diamond Centre!"

This is what I'd like to remind all those hospital workers who habitually park along our alley along the fences clearly marked NO PARKING ANYTIME. It's quite a hazard as the alley is narrow made dangerously narrow with their SUVs. Every now and again, someone gets annoyed and I admit to a little bit of glee when I see the tow trucks arriving. Seriously, if you can afford a BMW SUV or a sports car you can afford to get monthly parking at one of the two parkades specifically made for hospital parking.

Seriously, I have got out of ticketing by leaving a note when the ticket machine has not operated properly. If you have a valid reason why you haven't purchased a ticket, leaving a note explaining the problem can save you a $40 ticket. Always carry paper and pen in your car for this and many other reasons.

RULE #4 - CIRCLE AND STALK

There aren't any secret overlooked spots on Granville Island anymore so don't bother looking, but there were several hidden behind sheds that were torn down. Granville Island parking is not for novices if you don't get there before 10 am, but circling can yield a prime spot as the best ones are at the entrance to the GI which you can only access once you've gone around the entire Island counter-clockwise and are exiting. There's usually plenty of paid parking past the False Creek Community Centre or in one of the several parkades on your way out. You could resort to stalking, just like you do at mall parkades at Christmas, but be warned that with a three hour parking limit, you could just be wasting time following someone back to their car to find they are just putting away bags so they can go buy more stuff.

Any questions? There are some good explanations on the City web site and little known facts concerning NO PARKING ANYTIME signs. I didn't know that disabled people can park there for 30 minutes for loading and unloading purposes! Check it out at http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/parking/enf/parksmart/parkstop.htm

It doesn't hurt to bring your personal parking fairy/god/goddess with you.

Happy ticket free parking.