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A satellite parking area with shuttle service downtown may be created for people who work in downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver’s Downtown Association is conducting a survey of employees and employers to gauge support of a park-and-ride lot to serve downtown.

The survey has been conducted over the past few weeks as a follow-up to the city’s decision to shelve, for now, higher parking meter rates. City officials heard complaints that the proposed rates would be unaffordable for many downtown employees.

But the city also wants to cater to downtown shoppers who, officials say, sometimes can’t find a convenient parking space.

“Like any city we have an issue with employees parking in metered spaces and moving from space to space,” said Michael Jacobs, the city’s parking manager. “That takes spaces away from customers.”

The online survey (vdausa.org) asks downtown workers questions about whether they would use a park-and-ride lot, whether they would pay an “affordable amount” to use an employee parking lot.

In the meantime, City Manager Pat McDonnell has put on hold meter-rate increases planned for this year.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 at 12:02 am and is filed under Vancouver News.