What Squamish Wants › More info
Planned or in the budgetDowntown
Should downtown parking stay free?
The District’s own page on this: Let's Talk Squamish: Parking Management › Its official surveys and meetings are posted there. Answering here does not replace them.
Skip to answeringStreet parking in downtown Squamish is free today, with time limits on many blocks. A 2023 Downtown Parking Study found demand had grown since 2017 and recommended paid parking and other tools.
In 2024 the District of Squamish planned paid parking on Cleveland Avenue and Second Avenue. After a survey with over 2,600 responses, council chose instead to test paid parking only at Darrell Bay, a tourism parking lot on the west side of Highway 99, as a pilot to the end of 2026.
Staff are to report back to council in early 2027 with an evaluation and next steps. Possible later phases include paid parking downtown and at other tourism spots. So the new council will likely decide this in 2027 (as of October 2026).
Key facts
- Downtown today
- No paid street parking; paid parking only at Darrell Bay2
- Darrell Bay rates
- $3 an hour, up to $10 a day June to September; $1 an hour, up to $5 a day October to May2
- Survey
- Over 2,600 responses to the District's parking survey1
- 2023 study, weekday
- About 60% of cars in downtown two hour zones stayed 30 minutes or less1
- Earlier downtown plan
- $600,000 to set up; District aimed for $865,000 in revenue in 2026 (2024 budget figures)5
- Next decision
- Staff evaluation to council in early 20274
Where it stands
Planned or in the budget The District has it in a plan or budget, but it hasn’t happened yet. The ask is usually about doing it sooner or differently.
Who decides: Squamish council.
What each answer would mean
- Keep it all freeNo meters downtown; busy spots stay hard to find at peak times.
- Paid only in the busiest spotsShort free time limits elsewhere; meters where demand is highest.
- Paid parking across downtownFrees up spots and raises money without raising taxes.
The case for each answer
The strongest honest case for each side, as people who hold it would put it.
Keep it all free
- Free parking keeps downtown easy and cheap to visit for residents and shoppers, which can help local businesses.
- In the survey, people worried paid parking would affect how they reach businesses and recreation sites.
- Most downtown visits are already short, so time limits may be enough.
Paid only in the busiest spots
- Charging only where spaces are hardest to find frees up those spots without charging everyone.
- Short free time limits elsewhere keep quick errands cheap while still moving cars along.
Paid parking across downtown
- Paid parking makes drivers move along, so more people can find a spot, and it can encourage walking, cycling and transit.
- It raises money for the District without raising property taxes, and the 2024 plan expected hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
How we got here
- 2023The Downtown Parking Study recommended paid parking, and council directed staff to work on it.5
- October 2024The District planned paid parking on Cleveland Avenue and Second Avenue with a resident permit program.5
- March 11, 2025In committee, council removed a proposed resident pass from the Darrell Bay pilot, so residents pay too. Mayor Hurford and Councillor Greenlaw opposed removing it.3
- April 1, 2025Council approved the Darrell Bay pilot to the end of 2026 and an evaluation in early 2027. Councillor Pettingill opposed.4
- Summer 2025Paid parking began at Darrell Bay.1
- Early 2027Staff are due to bring the evaluation and next steps to council.4
Questions people ask
Is paid parking coming downtown?
Not yet. Council chose to test it at Darrell Bay first and will decide on next steps after the evaluation in early 2027.4
Do residents get free parking at Darrell Bay?
No. Council removed the resident pass from the pilot in March 2025.3
Will the Darrell Bay pilot end in December 2026?
It is scheduled to run to the end of 2026, but the District says it is expected to continue at least until council discusses paid parking again in 2027.1
Would a parkade be cheaper?
A 2020 District study estimated a downtown parkade at $10 million to $25 million in 2020 dollars.1
Ready to decide?
Your answer
Tap to answer, then see what Squamish said. Tap your answer again to take it back.
- Should downtown parking stay free?A 2023 study suggested paid parking downtown. Council chose to test it at Darrell Bay only.
More background
- What should happen with people still camping downtown?
- Put the modular shelter somewhere other than the park near Junction Park
- What should happen with the supportive housing planned at 39900 Government Road?
- Install the defibrillator at the Brennan Park pickleball and tennis courts this year
- When should Squamish build more pickleball courts?
- Fix up the Eaglewind courts and reopen them for tennis
- What should Brennan Park add next?
- Fence the off leash dog area at John Hunter Park
- Build covered outdoor basketball courts
- Keep the new crosswalk and wider multi use lane on Highlands Way North
- Put raised crosswalks and new signs on Upper Mamquam Road
- Put a raised crosswalk and new signs on Skyline Drive
- Make the Highway 99 and Cleveland Avenue intersection safer
- Should Squamish help pay for a bus to Vancouver and Whistler?
- How much should property taxes go up in 2027?
- How should Squamish speed up dike upgrades?
Sources
- Let's Talk Squamish (District of Squamish): Parking Management
- District of Squamish: Parking Regulations
- District of Squamish: Committee of the Whole minutes, March 11, 2025
- District of Squamish: Regular Business Meeting minutes, April 1, 2025
- Squamish Reporter: Paid parking coming to downtown Squamish next year (October 25, 2024)
Spot something wrong or out of date? Email squamishvoters@gmail.com.