Car2Go customers could face parking restrictions in Calgary

Car2Gois warning customers that Calgary's proposed car share parking policy could make it harder to access vehicles and mightdrive up costs for members.

A committee of city council will discuss changes to the city's parking policy at a meeting on March 18.

While acknowledging that car share services are desirable and helpreducecongestion and greenhouse gas emissions, the city says there have been complaints about car share vehicles monopolizing parkingspots on metered streets in some areas of downtown during the day.

In its proposed car share parking policy, the city wants to break up clusters of car share vehicles parked on downtown streets. Currently, thosevehicles can be leftin any designated public parking zone, either meteredor residential.

Under the proposed policy, there would be smaller, designated zones for car share vehicles. The vehicles could still be parked in other zones, but would be subject to any fines for exceeding time limits.

The policy would also require car share operators to redistribute parked carsif there are clusters of vehiclesin the downtown core.

Car2Go, the most popularcar shareservice in Calgary with 80,000 users, is warning it mighthave to hike prices if thecity restricts parking.

In a letter to members, Car2GoCalgary location manager Jon Wycocoalso warns that adoption of the new parking policywillmean vehicles will be less conveniently located in some areas of the city.

Read the City of Calgary's proposed car share parking policy.