Make parking at beaches free for all
We need to keep parking free for centennial beach. They bring massive amount of tourist dollars. Without it, our tax dollars WILL go up because of this loss of revenue. It is not non residents that leave behind garbage, it is the locals and the city who fail to pick up the garbage and thus the cans overflow and the wild life spreads it.
We shouldn't have to pay for the minority few who do not see reality to the costs this will cause. Making none residents pay for parking is a foolish idea as they will just go to better beaches if they have to pay for parking anyways.
Anonymous
shared this idea
We appreciate the suggestion, however this decision was recently made by Council in hopes of increasing our parking reserves and to prevent the tax payers from subsidizing parking operations.
We will certainly review its effects on business, but seeing as there was a cost to implement the program, the decision will not likely be reversed in the near future.
There is really no such thing as “Free” parking because there is always a cost to maintaining the lots. Council gets to decide how this maintenance is paid for – either by the user or tax base. Before July, the tax payers were paying to maintain the lots. The new visitor paid parking model is taking the maintenance cost out of the tax base and asking non-resident users to pay.
We constantly monitor and analyze our numbers, but Council would have to recommend the change back to free parking. For more information on waterfront parking, please visit www.barrie.ca/ResidentParkingPass.
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Edith
commented
Agree with you anon. They are blaming "outsiders". Where we have all paid for the beach through income tax and on all levels of government. Doing this will only chase much needed dollars away
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Anonymous
commented
It is not non residents leaving the garbage. It's the city not emptying the garbage even when it is plainly over full. If this pay scheme worked. Those from toronto would never have visited our beach when it was free. They would have stayed where they are. If you choose to visit other beaches that is one owns personal choice. But we should not copy the mistakes others have made and not learn from them. For doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
Its time we think different and realize that any kind of paid parking is just a bad idea. Especially when they are going to gouge us locals by making the other beaches in the area metered parking.
All of which will cost us more just for monitoring them.
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Allison
commented
For verification
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Allison
commented
I disagree with the mess. I have seen the city not empty the garbage cans leaving the mess to be spread by the wildlife and the weather. The out of towners have provided a massive amount of dollars towards all of our festivals to which I never see the locals spend money on. They visit and pay for resturants and I know a few resturant owners who have seen locals run out on their bills because they feel "entitled" to it. Same with hotels, which is why some hotels will not allow local residents to stay at them. No other city charges for the water front such as st Catherine, orillia, Oro just to name a few. Those that do are provincially ran such as Wasaga and is designated as the largest fresh water beach in the world.
This will only chase away out much needed dollars which means more tax increases in the future
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Allison
commented
I disagree with the mess. I have seen the city not empty the garbage cans leaving the mess to be spread by the wildlife and the weather. The out of towners have provided a massive amount of dollars towards all of our festivals to which I never see the locals spend money on. They visit and pay for resturants and I know a few resturant owners who have seen locals run out on their bills because they feel "entitled" to it. Same with hotels, which is why some hotels will not allow local residents to stay at them. No other city charges for the water front such as st Catherine, orillia, Oro just to name a few. Those that do are provincially ran such as Wasaga and is designated as the largest fresh water beach in the world.
This will only chase away out much needed dollars which means more tax increases in the future
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Anonymous
commented
The city has finally made the decision to charge out of towners...YEAH!
These people come each nice weekend and bring their own food etc.
Then leave a mess which we as taxpayers pay to be cleaned up!
How much money do they really spend? Oh yeah they buy the kids an ice cream.
Any Barrie resident who drives along Lakeshore on the weekend can attest to the lack of parking as these people take it all. We are NOT a beach...we are a great city, with a great beach area, but people from other areas think that we can provide this area free for them. Thank goodness the city has made the decision to make these "tourists" pay for parking.
Anyone who has travelled knows that other cities on water charge for parking and as tourists we have never begrudged paying. -
Anonymous
commented
I think it would to keep it busy an bring Business.
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Peter white
commented
If this was about non residents leaving behind garbage vs residents and who is entitled to access to the beach, why then is the city going to charge meter parking with the other beaches such as minets and Johnson's etc. this is about greed and elitism by a minority few and nothing more. These people have to learn that they are not the only ones living in this town and if they want this town to be somehow exclusive they have to start paying their own share instead of taking hand outs from the rest of us.
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Peter white
commented
The beach is not just paid by the Barrie residents and it is not a privlige. It is crown land belonging to everyone who resides in this great nation as we all pay taxes in some way towards it. Every level of government provides funding and grants towards any beaches and natural habitats in this country. Please show me proof that "non residents" are the ones leaving behind the garbage. There is plenty of proof of garbage cans not being emptied enough by the city which allows wild life to spread it. So how is that the fault of "non residents"? As you have stated. Where would they go? Wasaga, or they could stay in toronto or go somewhere else, even another country. The point being, they will not come here and thus we loose out on that revenu at a time there is little to no support of proper income for this little town. You are literally biting the hand that feeds you because somehow, for whatever reason, you feel entitled.
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Paul Murphy
commented
The beach is a privilege the residents of Barrie pay through the nose for. We should absolutely charge non residents for its use. I beg to differ that it's the Barrie residents who make the mess it's the visitors who leave the mess 99% of the time because they jump in their cars and just drive down the the highway not caring about anyone or anything. Charge then$20.00 a day to park and they will still come in droves
Where else can they go in less than an hour from Toronto. Actually make it $25.00 a day.
PLM