With an array of downtown streets and parking closed to vehicles or reserved for other use during the Canada Winter Games, the city has seen an increase in those looking for monthly permits.
According to bylaw services manager Fred Crittenden, staff are getting daily calls inquiring about monthly stall availability for February.
"I think people are realizing - especially with some of the street closures and some of the other parking lot closures - some of their normal daily options are not there so they've chosen to make sure they have a stall available in one of our paid monthly lots," Crittenden said.
By the time the Games are in full swing, about 100 daily and hourly off-street parking spaces will be taken over to accommodate monthly permit holders who were kicked out of their normal stalls for Games use. There are still 127 hourly and daily off-street spaces available, said Crittenden.
Monthly permit holders were moved to different lots as close as possible to where they would normally park, said Crittenden, and if they were put into a more-expensive lot, they wouldn't be charged the difference.
"If we found there was a big discrepancy the other way, we gave them a credit," he said.
Those with questions about off-street parking can contact the city at 250-561-7622.
On-street parking will mostly be business as usual, with the two-hour parking limit in effect where parking is permitted. But Crittenden said some allowances will be made for out-of-towners.
"So our staff have been given the latitude to issue warnings where they see it's appropriate, especially for people they know are visiting for the first time, and as long as it's not creating a big safety issue for anybody using the downtown streets," he said.
Motorists are also reminded that public transit will be free during the Games, thanks to the work of UNBC students' Pave the Way campaign.
"People have another option," Crittenden said.
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