As Burnaby’s beloved waterfront park gains summer popularity, city staff are proposing a parking reservation system to manage the demand.
Barnet Marine Park gets very busy in the summer months, with peak periods attracting more than 1,900 daily visitors and up to 1,000 vehicles per day, according to a staff report.
Vehicle lineups can spill onto Barnet Highway, requiring city staff and RCMP to manage the vehicle and pedestrian crowding.
Staff presented parking management options at a parks committee meeting in December and received feedback “overwhelmingly” supporting a free, reservable parking program, according to the report.
The proposed reservation program would only be for weekends and holidays in the summer and be phased in over two years.
In 2024, visitors on weekends and statutory holidays between May 1 and September 30 would be able to choose a parking lot based on the length of their stay: two hours, four hours or all day.
Between May and September in 2025, the city would introduce an app for park visitors to reserve an all-day parking stall at the Takeda West parking lot, along with the same time-limited lot options as in 2024.
The Takeda West lot, the largest parking lot at the park, would be the only lot available for all-day reservations, though park visitors who weren’t able to reserve a spot could still park on a first-come, first-served based at the other lots.
Outside of the summer season, all the lots would be available for first-come, first-served parking with no time limits.
Summer 2024
- Takeda Drive West lot (174 stalls): No reservation required for parking; first-come, first-served, no time limit
- Takeda Drive East lot (129 stalls): First-come, first-served basis; four-hour time limit
- Texaco Drive lot (14 stalls): First-come, first-served basis; two-hour time limit
- Burnaby Mountain Air Bike Skills lot (154 stalls): First-come, first-served basis; no time limit
Summer 2025
- Takeda Drive West lot (174 stalls): Reservation required for parking between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.; after 3 p.m., first-come, first-served basis until closing
- Takeda Drive East lot (129 stalls): First-come, first-served basis; four-hour time limit
- Texaco Drive lot (14 stalls): First-come, first-served basis; two-hour time limit
- Burnaby Mountain Air Bike Skills lot (154 stalls): First-come, first-served basis; no time limit
The new parking rules would be enforced through fines under city bylaw.
The city estimates revenue from enforcing parking violations would be $30,000 in 2024.
The net budget for Phase 1 in 2024 is $458,000, including on-site staff, traffic management, a feasibility study and site improvements such as road markings and signage.
If approved by council, staff will create a communications plan to raise awareness about the changes and to receive feedback on the reservation system.
Staff would also work to encourage alternate modes of transportation to Barnet Marine Park, including carpooling, transit and cycling.
Council will discuss and vote on the plan at its March 25 meeting.
