Jeers to Charlottetown’s city council for caving in to Downtown Charlottetown’s and the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce’s demands to delay the increase in parking rates.
And jeers to The Guardian editorial board who gave a cheer to Downtown Charlottetown and the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce for lobbying City Council to postpone car parking rate increases in the Sept. 21 Cheers & Jeers column!
The city continues to promote automotive dominance by not only accepting to defer this parking rate increase, but also supporting over 4,300 downtown parking spaces. It is a known fact that motor vehicles are the number one source of urban air pollution.
Many cities worldwide are banning cars from their city centres in favour of pedestrian and bike-friendly zones. “In many studies where you have pedestrianisation, or slowing down traffic, people actually spend more money,” says distinguished professor Billie Giles-Corti, who leads the Healthy Liveable Cities Group based at the RMIT Centre for Urban Research in Melbourne, Australia. “People don’t spend money when they’re in cars — in fact, research suggests cyclists spend more money than drivers.”
What will it take for the capital city of Prince Edward Island to become a leader in reducing automotive dominance and making an unwavering commitment to public (and active) transportation?
Barbara Dylla,
Charlottetown
