Is this the worst parking lot in Metro Vancouver? - Action News
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British Columbia

Is this the worst parking lot in Metro Vancouver?

But what makes a parking lot bad? And if a parking lot is as notorious as some in this competition appear to be, is there anything a government can do to rectify the situation?

After hundreds of submissions, thousands of votes, the lot at 41st & Victoria was crowned the winneror loser

An aerial view of the parking lot at Victoria Square, at Victoria Drive and East 41st Avenue in Vancouver, B.C. (Gian Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

It has 57 stalls, sits 20 metres from a busy intersection and has one main entrance.

And according to a very official internet poll, the parking lot at Vancouver's Victoria Drive and East 41st Avenue is the worst in all of Metro Vancouver.

"It's not my favourite," said Cathy Darby, adding the narrowness of the lanes was its biggest flaw.

"It's pretty hectic all the time," said Martin Martinez, addingthe constant coming and going of cars parking for a few minutes to visitLondon Drugs, Starbucks, McDonald's and other outlets was behind his frustration.

Cars struggle to park in a parking lot.
Among the flaws of the parking lot at London Drugs is a thin narrow entrance that doesn't give incoming drivers enough space to re-orient themselves before they're thrust in the middle of the lot. (Gian Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

In the end, thousands thought it was the worstin a week-long competition that showcased universal feelings of rage and discontent towards lots large and small across the region.

But what makes a parking lot bad?

And if a parking lot is as notorious as some in this competition appear to be,is there anything a government can do to rectify the situation?

'Victim of its own success'

Tyler Thomson, a senior transportation planner with Bunt & Associates, has analyzed thousands of parking stalls in his career, often finding a middle ground between a developer'swishes and a city'sregulationsto create or improve lots across Southwest B.C.

"I would consider myself very well-versed in the art of parking lot design," he said.

Contrary to online opinion, the 41st and Victoria lot officially known as Victoria Square isn't the worst he's seen, Thompson said.

"Its biggest fault is it's a victim of its own success. The businesses here are popular. The people want to come here."

Nonetheless, problems with the lot were observed from the moment it was created, at the beginning of the 21st century, with the Vancouver Sun writing a story ominously titled "Congestion on Victoria can only grow worse."

According to Thomson,there are three elements that go into parking lot design:access to the lot, circulation of cars within the lot, and how the lot interfaces with nearby streets.

In all three facets, Victoria Square has issues.

Located next to two busy streets with the main entrance just 60 metres from the intersection, cars can be backed up before they even reach the lot.

When they enter, it's through a short narrow transition zone that slamsinto several stalls on different angles.

And while circulation through the lot is technically a circle, the diagonal yellow lines at the far end that transition into a laneway create an extra layer of dysfunction.

The parking lot on the northeast corner of Fraser St. and Kingsway in Vancouver, B.C., finished in second place in the online competition for the worst parking lot in Metro Vancouver. (Gian Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

"You don't want to confuse people," said Thomson.

"When you're off the street, you're in a different kind of headspace mentally as to what your surroundings are so you want to have those visual cues that make it easy to find a space or find a way out."

The increase in larger vehicles like SUVshave also made many smaller parking lots more cramped over the years.

Passing the blame

While it's one thing to analyze a parking lot's shortcomings, it's another to get anyone to take responsibility for them.

"We don't have a lot of tools to go back to a parking lot that's already been built and tell them to do something different if they're in accordance with existing plans," said Paul Storer, Vancouver's director of transportation, adding the city doesn't actively check parking lots and they receive a minimal number of complaints each year.

"If there were something that was a particular hazard, it's something we could take up with the property owner, but generally we look for [them] to proactively make changes."

And changes, at least at this point, don't look likely.

"We recognize parking at this location is a challenge that needs to be addressed by the landlord Abbey Woods, a subsidiary of Westbank Projects," said London Drugswhen asked for comment about the parking lot.

"The lot was in compliance with City of Vancouver code and by-laws when approved and the parking challenges there would be similar to many surface parking lots built around the same time in Vancouver," said Peter Campion, Westbank's Property Manager for Victoria Square, who also argued the main problem with the lot was that it was too popular.

"While we recognize there are challenges posed by these kinds of outdated parking lots, today we are prioritizing new and innovative parkade designs to improve the parking experience while targeting ambitious climate action goals."

Tyler Thomson, a senior transportation planner with Bunt & Associates, says it's important for parking lot designers to create visual cues to help drivers figure out how to navigate a lot properly. (Gian Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

It's a sentiment that Thomson also advocates for: as the way people getaround changes, so too must parking lots.

"There's a delicate point between making parking easy and convenient, and making sure that we're trying to get people out of their cars and onto active transportation," he said.

"It's definitely a challenge to balance those competing kinds of objectives."

Jurisdictional finger-pointing between retailers and developers? A focus on a future pivot to active transportation and climate change solutions, while downplaying current tensions?

You could make the argument that parking lots are a lot like everything else in Vancouver.