City to test paid parking at three major attractions
A 2027 pilot will charge admission for parking at Fort Edmonton Park, Valley Zoo, and Muttart Conservatory to fund operations.
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Parking at some of Edmonton's most-visited attractions will carry a price tag starting next year as the city tests a new revenue model for struggling facilities.
Fort Edmonton Park, the Valley Zoo, and Muttart Conservatory will launch paid-parking pilots in 2027 as part of a broader set of changes council's urban planning committee approved Tuesday. The move aims to generate roughly $5.4 million in new revenue city-wide and reduce the strain on property taxes while funding ongoing operations at these destinations.
Ward Papastew Coun. Michael Janz, who requested the report, framed the decision plainly: "It's either user fees or property taxes. We're trying to mitigate huge property tax increases." He pointed to precedent — the Riverhawks charge $10 for parking, Sylvan Lake charges $50 per day, and Vancouver's Stanley Park charges $4.75 an hour. "When something's free, you see too many people in parking zones not moving their cars," Janz noted.
The city plans to include a low-income option in the pricing structure. A start date hasn't been set, but the pilot will run throughout 2027. Beyond parking, the city is also expanding automated enforcement and eyeing a payment-escalation system similar to Calgary's, where parking fines increase based on how long they go unpaid. Administration is also looking to hire more parking enforcement officers — the city has dropped from 30 officers to eight in recent years, even as calls for enforcement jumped 42 percent.