The hourly rate doubles on January 1, 2020
By Atiba Nelson, Staff Reporter
Douglas College is ringing in 2020 by increasing student parking rates at both New Westminster and Coquitlam campuses.
As posted on the Douglas College parking homepage, student parking rates will increase on January 1 2020 by 100 percent for the current one hour parking rate, and by $2.00 for daily parking. The new rates also herald the elimination of the current “evening flat rate” of $1.50 after six o’clock.
One reason that the parking rates increase is the rise in the TransLink-collected parking tax, which increased in July 2019 from 21 percent to 24 percent.
With twenty-four cents of every dollar going to TransLink and another five cents remitted to the province for GST, Douglas parking rates are still among the lowest in Metro Vancouver, with only Kwantlen Polytechnic University pricing their parking fees lower—despite a higher price for a semester-long parking pass.
The Other Press reviewed parking rates at several other post-secondary institutions in the Vancouver area and found that the Douglas College Parking Services claim that “Douglas College continues to offer the lowest parking fees of any post-secondary institution in the Lower Mainland,” as stated on the Douglas College News homepage, is correct.
| Douglas | BCIT | Capilano | Emily Carr | Langara | Kwantlen | SFU | UBC | |
| Hourly | $2 | NF | $3 | NF | $3 | $2 | $3.50 | $4 |
| Daily | $8 | $5.50 | $4.75 | NF | $7 | $5 | $14 | $9.22 |
| Semester | $135 | $440* | $190 | $370.99 | NF | $190 | $240 | $370 |
| 16 wk * weekly rate | 3 lots are $2/hr |
*Notes: Main campus’ locations only. Lowest rates listed. NF = Not Found
Although Douglas students pay the lowest parking rates of many post-secondary students, Douglas’ parking rates are now more expensive than the City of New Westminster and City of Coquitlam parking rates for both neighbouring residential streets, and nearby parkades.
The hourly parking rate for surface parking and parkade parking lots operated by the City of New Westminster ranges from $1.25 to $1.75 per hour, while the City of Coquitlam charges prospective parkers $1.00 per hour, capping out at a maximum of $4.00 per day for designated on-street “Park and Ride” stalls and city-owned parking lots. Both municipalities feature parking lots and residential parking spots that surround both Douglas campuses.
Despite reasonable parking rates offered by the institution and the municipalities, many students park on side streets near both New Westminster and Coquitlam campuses to take advantage of free time-limited visitor and residential parking.
