Victoria council has voted on a motion which would increase the number of accessible parking spaces required for private developments.
According to the motion, the BC Building Code removed requirements for accessible parking spaces in 2018 and left it up to municipalities to mandate.
At the time, the city implemented requirements for accessible parking which required higher numbers of spaces than the building code.
Now, the new requirements in most cases double the required number of spaces.
Data courtesy City of Victoria Engineering and Public Works department
All attached or multiple dwelling; commercial; industrial; or institutional, with the exception of hospitals, will have the same requirements for number of stalls, with only parking lots with six or more parking spaces having a requirement for accessible stalls.
Additionally, for every parking lot where an accessible stall is required, at least one must be a van accessible space, with a minimum ratio of 6:1 for van accessible spaces.
The slope grade for accessible parking spaces is not to exceed five per cent in any direction, and the bylaw outlines expectations for signage.
City staff says these changes were recommended following consultation from disabled people in the community, and stakeholders including SPARC BC, the Action Committee for People with Disabilities, the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, the Victoria Disability Resource Centre, and the Urban Development Institute.
"In 2021, staff implemented 41 new or upgraded accessible parking spaces with another 20 currently planned for this year," Ross Kenny, assistant director of engineering transportation for the City of Victoria.
"Just for context previous to 2020 we estimate there was about between 50 and 60 accessible stalls on city property before so while we're not talking about on street accessible parking, that is well in hand, and we're moving that forward through all of our capital programs."
Laura Brougham
