Another idealist view discussing parking [in the editorial, “We need a paradigm shift on parking, Squamish” published on March 18] without a comprehensive, workable transit plan.
The District of Squamish seems to base their approach on Donald Shoup’s “Parking and the City.”
The issue of parking first came to light when the first multi-storey building downtown, the Cornerstone, was provided a significant variance to its parking supply.
This created a larger issue as street parking was removed along Victoria and only one handicap parking spot remained on Cleveland. This has been amended as needed.
When I was executive director of the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association in 2016, we conducted a parking survey and found that the issue of employment parking was paramount. In the five years since, nothing has been done to accommodate this need. Buses are running on the hour.
House prices are soaring and being a 45-minute commute from both downtown Vancouver and Whistler by car, how are we going to motivate people to give up their cars without adequate transit? The issue is economic development.
If we could all have an opportunity to achieve family-sustaining jobs then, of course, we can all get on board with paradigm shifts and lowest hanging fruit. At the moment? There is none.
Bianca Peters
Garibaldi Highlands
