Improved CBD Parking for Queenstown

Improved parking for shoppers and short stay parkers is being considered by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, QLDC infrastructure strategy manager Denis Mander said.

“The aim of the proposal is to enhance access to the CBD, which is in line with the council’s long term Transportation Strategy,” Mr Mander said.

The options to be considered by next week’s utilities committee greatly enhanced retail access and mobility parking but also potentially affected 281 long stay parks on Ballarat and Boundary Streets.

One of the main issues for the council when considering improved CBD access was reducing the more immediate impact the proposal would have on an important section of the community.

“We are talking about potentially affecting a number of our CBD workers and that’s a discussion we need to have before any decisions are made,” Mr Mander said.

If the proposed changes were adopted by the committee they would go forward into the Draft Annual Plan for wider community consultation and input. The draft plan would be released for submissions in April.

It was proposed that on Ballarat Street charges would increase by fifty cents an hour to $1 an hour (with no cap) and for Boundary Street a new charge would be introduced of fifty cents an hour (with a cap of $2.50 per day). An exemption from fees for all mobility permit holders, which would allow them to park anywhere, anytime for free was also proposed.

The council accepted that any change was reliant on the introduction of good alternative travel choices for the community and in particular CBD commuters.

“The pricing options being considered can only be introduced together with improved travel options for those people that work in the CBD,’ he said. These included carpool incentives and improved bus services.

The Otago Regional Council had committed to work with bus company Connectabus to enhance bus services in the Wakatipu Basin by July, this year. This included an express Arrowtown service and services to Kelvin Heights and Arthur’s Point.

“Better bus services, priority spaces for carpoolers and the anticipated rise in fuel prices will give our community more incentive and more options to leave the car at home or carpool,” he said.

The council had to balance the inconvenience of changing travel considerations for some with improved access to the CBD businesses for locals and visitors during the daytime.
Options other than passenger transport as an alternative for the car also needed to be developed as part of the proposal.

“Included in the package to be considered by the committee next week is the development of secure bicycle parking, and discounted carpooling parking spaces,” Mr Mander said.

Although it was not a key driver for the proposal, the options could also help improve parking debt.
“Through the acquisition of the Boundary Street carpark in the 1990’s and the construction of the Church Street underground carpark, the level of debt for parking activities sits at $1.1m,” Mr Mander said.

The reality was that parking operations were costing the community.

“In the current economic climate, heading into the Annual Plan consultation, it is certainly another factor to consider,” Mr Mander said.