In a municipal election year, conventional wisdom says that stumping for paid parking is the political equivalent of handling radioactive materials.
But one Port Moody city councillor says she isn't afraid of the fallout.
Coun. Karen Rockwell raised the issue at the June 14 PoMo council meeting, saying it's time the city look at converting its free parking to metered parking at Rocky Point Park, the Port Moody rec complex and along Ungless Way, where many Eagle Ridge Hospital staff park. More sites would likely be considered in the future.
Port Moody council has discussed the idea before and Rockwell revived it following a trip to Halifax for the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities meeting. That maritime city, Rockwell told council, generates $1.2 million annually from its parking lots, many of which populate the city's bustling and historic waterfront.
But in Port Moody, Rockwell said the main drive behind charging people to park should not be money but to reduce the number of car trips in the city, encouraging people to walk, cycle or take transit instead.
"It's a source of revenue but, most importantly is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions," Rockwell told The Tri-City News. "We have visitors from all over the Lower Mainland that come and use our parks. In Halifax, it's exactly the same; they have visitors that come to see their historic district and downtown waterfront."
Rockwell said she expects council to discuss the possibility of creating paid parking in the coming weeks and hopes the city will move on its decision before the November civic elections.
Rockwell said she's not afraid of voter backlash that might accompany making people pay for something the city currently offers for free.
"If council based all our decisions on what was popular or not, then I would say we're not doing our job very well," she said. "Our job is to look after the best interests of all the residents of Port Moody."
