In the News
Find the latest media coverage on the Calgary Parking Authority.
2012
Click here to access media coverage from 2011.
May 16 - Calgary Herald - Bridgeland wins dispute against city, gets free parking
A long-standing dispute has led to Bridgeland businesses being given a "holiday" from parking tickets. The city has declared free two-hour parking along 1st Avenue N.E. between 7th Street and 9A Street. For years, business owners have complained parking restrictions have chased wouldbe customers away from the quietly trendy community, northeast of downtown.
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May 16 - Global Calgary - Calgarian’s hard-fought fight leads to free parking in Bridgeland
There’s a big victory in Bridgeland for people who hate paying for parking.After a three-year fight, a group of businesses has persuaded the City of Calgary to allow free parking.The businesses had complained the on-street restrictions are bad for business.
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May 15 - OpenFile - Call it ParkMinus, city removes paid parking from part of Bridgeland
In a rare move, the city has agreed to get rid of paid parking in part of Bridgeland, at least on a trial basis. Parking in Bridgeland along 1st Avenue N.E. between 7th Street and 9A Street is now free for two hours, rather than pay by the minute. It's a one-year trial to gauge whether drivers use it properly—only two hours at a time, no park-and-riding or sleepovers—after which it will be evaluated to see whether it will work in the long term.
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May 11 - Metro Calgary - Waitlist for parking stunting some Calgary cyclists' ride
Navigating to work may no longer be the biggest hurdle for Calgary cyclists, as some are finding the problem is what to do when they get to work. Michael Burt began working at the TransCanada Tower last year and, before becoming a bike commuter this summer, he inquired about secure bike parking in his building.
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May 9 - Metro Calgary - Debit-pay option floated for Calgary's ParkPlus System
Rather than fumbling for change or racking up credit card bills, Calgarians may soon be able to swipe their debit card to pay for parking. The Calgary Parking Authority is in the process of commissioning a feasibility study on retrofitting their automated ParkPlus machines to accept debit transactions.“This would be just be one more feature added for our customers,” said authority manager Troy McLeod. “It would likely be something we introduce first in our parkades.”
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May 8 - News Talk 650 CKOM - City upgrades parking meters for new loonies, toonies
The new loonies and toonies are creating problems for some motorists in Saskatoon after the city discovered that the leaner coins are being rejected from parking meters. “We are starting to see a few of the new loonies and toonies on the streets and we’re in the process of updating the existing meters to fit the new coin profile,” said Angela Gardiner, transportation manager.
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May 7 - Canadian Business Journal - Bringing technology and innovation to your parking space
The developers of the ParkPlus System, the Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) manage local parking through an automated system that integrates parking payment and enforcement. The ParkPlus System is extremely innovative in two respects—its revolutionary payment system offers drivers multiple payment methods, and enforcement is conducted through mobile license plate recognition technology.
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May 2 - Calgary Sun - New coins prompt pricey upgrades for Calgary parking meters
Changes to pocket change will translate to thousands of dollars in technology upgrades for city parking officials.The Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) is in the process of recalibrating hundreds of ParkPlus pay machines, allowing them to accept new, lighter loonies and toonies
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April 30 - CTV Calgary - Vendors prepare for lighter loonie
The downside is that Canada's coin-operated industries will have to shell out about $40 million in recalibration costs to make vending machines recognize the new coinage. In addition, the businesses who count their coins by weight will have to first separate the old currency from the new.
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April 27 - Global Calgary - New coins a no go in parking vending machines (Video)
The new loonies and toonies may be lighter in your pocket, but they are sure a problem for a lot of vending and parking machines. The new coins don't work in any of the nearly 700 Calgary parking ticket dispensers.
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April 27 - 660 News - Bankers Hall parking price hikes
One downtown parkade is upping its fees. Banker's Hall is now charging a hefty $45 per day, up from $35. Troy McLeod with the Calgary Parking Authority tells The Calgary Herald even though the current prices are high, they are below the market price by about 16 per cent.
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April 27 - Calgary Herald - Banker's Hall hikes already steep daily parking rate by 28 per cent
...But elsewhere, downtown rates are staying relatively static with a slight decrease of three to six per cent.
“With our current prices compared to the slightly decreased market price, we are still 19, 20 and nine per cent below the market on hourly/daily/monthly respectively,” said Calgary Parking Authority’s Troy McLeod.
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April 26 - CBC News National - Lighter toonies and loonies create $40M headache
...The Calgary Parking Authority has budgeted $30,000 to upgrade its 770 parking meters, although those costs do not include internal labour expenses, the Toronto Star reported.
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April 26 - CBC News Toronto - Lighter toonies and loonies create $1M headache
...The Calgary Parking Authority has budgeted $30,000 to upgrade its 770 parking meters, although those costs do not include internal labour expenses, the Toronto Star reported.
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April 26 - Toronto Star - Like that shiny new loonie in your pocket? Green machines don't
...The Calgary Parking Authority is already in the process of recalibrating its 770 machines. The software was purchased from the service provider and the labour is being done in-house. Not counting those internal costs, Calgary is budgeting $30,000 for the switch.
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April 24 - Open File Calgary - Finally, a plan for Kensington's Ant Hill building emerges
...The site had been purchased by the Calgary Parking Authority for $1.6 million, with the intention of building a parking lot, but multiple twists and turns have since occurred.
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April 12 - Calgary Herald - New toonies and loonies cost vending machine operators bucks
...It is also expected to cost the Calgary Parking Authority. About 700 parking machines are being calibrated to accept the new coins, said general manager Troy McLeod, noting it will cost about $30,000.
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April 11 - Global Calgary - Why a bill of sale is vital when you sell your car
If you're selling a vehicle, don't forget to make out a bill of sale. It may seem obvious, but if the next owner doesn't register the car in their name, it could come back to haunt you.
Click here to read the full story.
April 11 - Metro Calgary - Apps aim to ease Calgary parking pains
Can’t find a place to park? There’s soon to be an app for that. The Calgary Parking Authority after some tinkering and testing is now in the final stages of developing its own iPhone app that will, among other things, provide real-time parkade stall availability, traditional occupancy levels for on-street parking as well as GPS-based route planning and vehicle tracking in relation to parking spaces.
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April 10 - Calgary Sun - Man's mother's ashes recovered
...Monday evening, after trying to help Desjarlais get the ashes from the car before they realized it had already been towed, Calgary Parking Authority general manager Troy McLeod apologized to him on behalf of CPA for not allowing him to retrieve his mom’s ashes earlier.
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April 9, 2012 - Global Calgary - New parking sign design coming to the downtown core
The City of Calgary is unveiling a new plan that could save you a parking headache. Many Calgarians complain that parking signs in the downtown core can be confusing to understand.
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April 5 - Open File Calgary - Check out the proposed parking signs that might one day be up in downtown
Have you ever been driving downtown, trying to find a spot to park, then end up sweating over a parallel park only to realize you've squeezed yourself into a no-parking zone? Oh, it happens.
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April 5 - Metro Calgary - Parking campaign to target top 10 tagging zones in Calgary
Cell phones could be key to reducing the number of tickets issued in the downtown areas that currently have the highest rates of ticketing, says the Calgary Parking Authority. All of the top 10 zones with the highest number of parking tickets issued in 2011 were in the downtown core and one spot in Kensington, according to data released to Metro by the CPA.
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April 4 - Metro Calgary - Court no place to fight Calgary parking ticket, data suggests
Charged parking violators wanting their day in court face almost insurmountable odds, data suggests.
A few thousand city motorists go before a judge each year to protest a fine issued by the Calgary Parking Authority, but less than 0.23 per cent — or one in 425 cases — see the violation overturned.
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April 3 - AM 770 - Calgary Parking Authority looking to clear up sign confusion
Confused by the amount of signs on city streets? The Calgary Parking Authority has come up with a couple of suggestions for new parking signs.
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April 1 - Calgary Beacon - Paucity of pranks from politicians this Alberta April Fool’s Day
...But the sleeper in this deal is more parking. Finally, a solution even the Calgary Parking Authority can’t screw up. Imagine turning all those waving fields of golden wheat into parking lots. It does this old heart glad.
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April 1 - Calgary Herald - Calgary entrepreneur can't say goodbye to penny soon enough
...Wendy Cundall, senior fund development adviser at the Calgary Homeless Foundation, said the not-for-profit charity plans to “brainstorm” fundraising ideas around the end of the penny. In the meantime, the group is teaming up with the Calgary Food Bank and the Calgary Parking Authority on a new fundraising campaign.
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March 31 - Calgary Herald - Good Life Bike Shop finds temporary home
One month after losing its space at Eau Claire mall, things are looking up for a popular notforproft bicycle group.
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March 30 - CBC News Calgary - Community bike shop to set up in Kensington
A popular community bike shop has found a temporary new home in Calgary...The Ant Hill building is owned by the Calgary Parking Authority.
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March 29 - Open File Calgary - Good Life Community Bike Shop inks deal with Calgary Parking Authority
The Good Life Community Bike Shop has found a new home—one month to the day after the shop moved out of its previous home at Eau Claire Market. Thursday afternoon, the group signed a lease with the Calgary Parking Authority that will see the bike shop operate in the CPA-owned Ant Hill building in Kensington for the remainder of the year.
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March 27 - Smart Planet - Calgary makes parking payment hassle-free
Tired of fishing for quarters for the parking meter? The city of Calgary, in Canada, has developed a clever system that other cities would do well to emulate. Its ParkPlus system allows users to pay for parking by cash, card, or even cell phone.
Click here to read the full story.
March 15 - CTV Calgary - No free rides for downtown parkade abusers
The Calgary Parking Authority has found a way to track down people who aren't paying at downtown parkades.
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March 15 - 660 News - Parkades getting camera to nab non-payers
ParkPlus parkades downtown are getting some extra eyes to nab non-paying parkers.
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March 15 - Calgary Sun - Parking scofflaws in Calgary parkades prompt call for cams
After suffering steady losses in fine fees to scofflaws, the city’s parking agency will equip parkades with cameras to curb the cash slash.
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March 15 - CBC News Calgary - Dozens of snow route tickets appealed
Dozens of Calgarians are fighting the tickets they got for parking in snow routes during last week’s snow event. The Calgary Parking Authority says so far it has received 86 appeals out of approximately 1,300 tickets issued last Tuesday.
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March 14 - Metro Calgary - South Calgary is snow-ban champ
Residents in south Calgary came away from last week’s snow-route parking ban unscathed as no tickets were handed out in any of the four southernmost wards.
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March 13 - Calgary Herald - Nenshi says future of snow routs lies within review later this year
Take heart, drivers frustrated by the city’s snow route parking ban. Within months the trial policy may be parked permanently. Ald. John Mar was one of 1,358 motorists ticketed during last Tuesday’s snow route plowing — the second snow event called by the city during the trial policy.
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March 13 - Calgary Sun - No change for snow route signage
The signs won’t be a-changing. Despite calls by a Calgary alderman to boost the number of signs promoting snow routes that call for parking bans, no new placards will be planted.
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March 12 - Metro Calgary - Parking officials want modern signs
Calgary parking officials are working on their sign language, so to speak. Initial concepts are being drafted to replace the clutter of signs on some downtown streets with one easy-to-read design.
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March 9 - Open File Calgary - Morning File: A new way to catch parking scofflaws
Parking fee scofflaws beware, the Calgary Parking Authority is launching a pilot project to ensure people pay for their parkade spaces, or else get fined.
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March 9, 2012 - Metro Calgary - ‘Virtual gates’ aim to nab non-paying parkade dwellers
Indicating a need to better use space in downtown parkades, the Calgary Parking Authority is turning to a high-tech solution.
Click here to read the full story.
March 8 - Calgary Herald - City to 'tweak' snow parking law
Twenty-one hours, 1,358 tickets and a lot of plowing later, Calgary lifted its second snow route parking ban Wednesday morning and then began looking at how to iron out wrinkles in the system.
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March 8 - Metro Calgary - Alderman says more signage needed for parking ban
The vast majority of Calgarians got away scot-free from the recent snow route parking ban; however, one alderman who didn’t come away unscathed is advocating for changes.
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March 7- Calgary Herald - Calgary lifts parking ban after 21 hours, 1,358 tickets
Twenty-one hours, 1,358 tickets and an impressive lot of plowing later, Calgary lifted its second snow route parking ban before dawn Wednesday.
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March 7 - Metro Calgary - Calgary parking ban nets 1,290 fines
Nearly 1,300 Calgarians had the snow on their windshields replaced with a parking ticket Tuesday during the first few hours of the city’s snow route parking ban.
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March 7 - Calgary Sun - Flurry of complaints over Calgary's snow parking ban
Nearly 1,300 Calgarians had the snow on their windshields replaced with a parking ticket Tuesday during the first few hours of the city’s snow route parking ban.
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March 7- 660 News - Sweeping compliance with snow route parking ban
The Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) says 90 per cent of people complied with the snow route parking ban, but there were still over 1,300 tickets handed out Tuesday.
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March 6, 2012 - CTV Calgary - City declares snow event
A slippery commute will greet Calgary drivers on Tuesday morning as much as ten centimetres of snow fell on the city and the city has declared a snow event and accompanying parking ban.
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March 6 - Calgary Herald - Snow continues to fall in Calgary, shutting down roads and knocking out power
Hundreds of Calgarians’ typical curbside parking spots are now illegal until Thursday. For the second time this winter, Calgary has ordered all parked cars to vacate priority plowing routes.
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March 6 - Calgary Beacon - 725 tickets issued during first day of Calgary snow ban
Calgary Parking Authority staff had a busy Tuesday, handing out 725 parking tickets by 4 p.m. to vehicles parked on snow routes throughout the city.
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March 6 - Calgary Herald - Some plead, 'Say it isn't snow'
...If as much snow falls as was forecast, the roads division was planning to declare parking bans on designated snow routes for only the second time since creating them in the fall
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March 5 - Calgary Sun - Snow-sparked parking ban lifted
The city of Calgary lifted a snow route park ban early Wednesday morning, 24 hours after it implemented it, but not before more than 1,000 drivers were smacked with fines.
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March 5 - Open File Calgary - If snow event is declared, fines will be handed out for the first time
As heavy snow continues to fall on the city today, the prospect of a snow event declaration is looming. Roads crews are currently plowing Priority 1 and 2 roads throughout the city, but if heavy snow continues to fall as forecast, the city's Roads Traffic Engineer may decide to declare a snow event.
Click here to read the full story.
March 2 - Open File Calgary - Parking wars: Calgary's LRT Park-and-Ride saga continues
...McKendrick says Calgary Parking Authority and transit will develop the system together to increase functionality and make enforcement easier.
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March 2 - Calgary Sun - Calgary Parking Authority on the hunt for cuddly mascot
The search for a Calgary Parking Authority mascot is on. It could be Parking Panda or Ticket Tiger, but guidelines indicates it must be “friendly and inviting.”
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March 2 - Calgary Herald - Want to find a taxi in downtown Calgary? Look for a fire hydrant
...Other retail districts, including 17th Avenue and Kensington, have clamoured for permission to let taxis sit next to fire hydrants, said Calgary Parking Authority GM Troy McLeod.
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March 2 - Calgary Herald - Parking authority seeks mascot
Perry the Parkupine?Allie the Enforcement Alligator? The Calgary Parking Authority is taking ambitions of warm and fuzzy public relations to a new level as they seek an identity for a new company mascot.
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March 1 - Calgary Herald Blog - A more cuddly, loveable Calgary Parking Authority. Now seeking mascot.
What’s cuter than a plush ParkPlus machine with arms and legs with some 20-year-old in the costume? Give up? Why, it’s the future Calgary Parking Authority mascot!
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March 1 - Calgary Herald (editorial) - Parking the wrong way
The Calgary Stampede and Calgary Zoo shouldn’t keep the meter running for long before rejecting the ParkPlus system. The notion of installing the much-maligned technology should be left at the curb as quickly as possible.
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February 29 - Calgary Herald - ParkPlus could be expanding to the Stampede Grounds...and maybe even the zoo
As it tries to sell its ParkPlus technology to other cities, the Calgary Parking Authority is also looking to extend its reach further into Cowtown.
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February 28 - Metro Calgary - Stampede could lasso ParkPlus technology
Motorists late for a Flames game or urgently craving a batch of mini donuts could someday avoid lines at the Calgary Stampede grounds entrance gate if officials adopt a well-tested parking technology.
Click here to read the full story.
February 23 - Calgary Herald - Calgary Transit to slash reservation rates at three park and ride lots
...By year’s end, Calgary Transit will scrap its current Internet reservation system, designed in-house, in favour of one developed by Calgary Parking Authority.
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February 19 - Calgary Herald - Reseved parking rates may drop at some Calgary Transit park-and-ride lots
...Standard fares and fees for all regions have been a hallmark of Calgary Transit service. But the Calgary Parking Authority uses supply and demand levers to charge varying rates in different downtown lots, McKendrick noted.Click here to read the full story.
February 9 - Calgary Herald - Parking permit sale worries city
The Calgary Parking Authority is keeping a close eye on the underground trade in visitor parking permits to see if it’s anything more than a one-off scheme.
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February 7 - Calgary Herald - A building to better serve those who serve
The commissionaires of southern Alberta have a new place to call home.
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February 6 - Calgary Herald - Calgary looks to market ParkPlus system
The Calgary Parking Authority board has formed a special committee to investigate how best to market ParkPlus, the potentially lucrative system that could lead to a future windfall for the city agency.
Click here to read the full story.
February 4 - Calgary Herald - City parking authority adjusting off-street rates
You might want to start carrying around extra pocket change if you plan to park downtown.The Calgary Parking Authority raised the rates at several downtown parking lots this week, with some charging up to $2 more per hour.
Click here to read the full story.
Feburary 3 - Global Calgary - Calgary parking authority hikes parking fees
Apparently having the most expensive parking rates in the country isn't good enough.
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February 3 - Metro Calgary - The price of lot parking just went up
Dig deeper into those pockets if you are planning to park in downtown lots any time soon. The Calgary Parking Authority has raised fees by a buck or two per hour at most of its downtown lots and parkades due to what manager Troy McLeod says is rising demand.
Click here to read the full story.
February 3 - Metro Calgary - Calgarians fork over millions for late fees
On top of the regular fees for property taxes, parking fines and traffic tickets, Calgarians are spending millions of dollars annually on late fees.
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February 2 - 660 News - Parking rates on the rise
Expect to shell out more to park downtown. The Calgary Parking Authority has upped its rates as of Feb. 1.
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February 2 - CityTV - Calgary Parking Authority rates increase
The price of parking has gone up at Calgary Parking Authority surface lots and parkades downtown. For the first time in three years the Authority has raised the rates to help offset increased maintenance costs.
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February 2 - Open File Calgary - Parking rates hop up in February
Parking rates went up yesterday at Calgary Parking Authority lots for the first time since January 2009, in part to help cover the costs of maintaining their surface lots and parkades throughout Calgary.
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January 27 - Metro Calgary - Calgary's parking rates could be revised in real time
Parking where others aren’t could someday lead to big-time savings in Calgary’s downtown core. The Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) has discussed internally moving towards a system that would see rates in the downtown core adjusted in real time depending on the number of available spaces in a given area.
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January 19 - Calgary Sun - Relief from Calgary deep freeze on the way
...Meanwhile, the Calgary Parking Authority, which had some of its ParkPlus machines malfunction in the cold this week, is reminding drivers that if a machine is not working, payment must be made at a different machine or through a cellphone account.
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January 18 - 660 News - No room at the inn, as in indoor parking garage
Calgary might have some of the highest parking rates in the country, but that's not stopping people from trying to find a spot in the warmth of an indoor garage.The Calgary Parking Authority had to tell some drivers to find somewhere else to park Wednesday morning, holding back stalls for those who pay monthly fees.
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January 18 - Calgary Sun - Calgary plunges into deep freeze
...The cold snap also caused 36 of the Calgary Parking Authority’s ParkPlus machines to stop working properly.
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January 11 - Metro Calgary - System will see speedier parking enforcement
Calgarian Mike Losowy has griped for decades about cars parking without a permit in front of his Bridgeland home.
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January 10 - Metro Calgary - Province cuts controversial plate fee
What’s in this year’s provincial budget remains a mystery, but one item left out is drawing praise from city officials.
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January 10 - Metro Edmonton - Meter options mulled
The days of hauling buckets of change to park downtown may be over soon, as the city considers alternative payment options to coins at meters.
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January 6 - Metro Calgary - Columnist knows best
New Year’s resolutions can be great ways of getting your life back on track, whether you make them in time to ring in the new year or let them percolate a while longer. Since I rarely have success with my own resolutions, I’ll do what columnists do best: I’ll offer unsolicited advice on how others should shape their 2012.
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