EasyPark has a service history of over 50 years in parking management and excellence within the City of Vancouver. Yes, parking has been an 'issue’ for a long time and Vancouver has faced traffic congestion from as early as 1950. What with the end of the war, plus growth in housing development and industry, the city quickly began to show signs of becoming a major west coast metropolis.
Founded in 1948 by visionary downtown merchants, the Corporation manages and operates parkades and properties owned or leased by the City of Vancouver, or joint ventures between the City and third parties. The original six properties were purchased by the business community and given to the City. Subsequent profits have far exceeded what was reinvested to increase off street parking assets. The Corporation, which operates as a non-profit public authority, was a model public-private partnership long before that phrase became fashionable.
Since then, the Parking Corporation of Vancouver/EasyPark, as it now exists, is jointly owned by the City and the Downtown Vancouver Association (DVA). This share structure gives the City sole title to the assets of, and the revenues generated by, the Corporation; while the DVA provides the business expertise to conduct the affairs of the Corporation. It is governed by a board of two appointed and twelve elected directors.
An organization that started life as the brainchild of a small group of downtown business owners has grown to be an organization that ranks among very best of North American parking facility managers. It has done so by sticking to the principles of its founders: to provide safe, clean parking for downtown shoppers at a fair price.
Of course, there has been a certain amount of evolution in company philosophy since the early days. Apart from the need to be self-sustaining, the Corporation needs to fund development of the Vancouver off-street parking program whilst remaining committed to providing a healthy financial return to the City of Vancouver. Part of the Corporation's responsibility is to assist the City's monitoring of parking demands and to recommend expansion to cover parking shortfalls in unserviced areas. The Corporation also takes an entrepreneurial point of view when recommending joint ventures with public and private agencies, particularly through participation in appropriate public and private sector development discussions.
Where do your parking fees go now? All net revenues go to the respective owners of the parking facilities (which is the City of Vancouver in the majority of cases), for reinvestment in the development of public parking facilities. Easypark facilities are intended to act as an integral component of Vancouver's transportation infrastructure and their use should be complementary to the vitality of the downtown business community.