‘Finding that balance’: Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market looks to address paid parking woes

The Old Strathcona Farmers' Market says there's a noticeable dip in foot traffic. CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg reports.

Organizers of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, an Edmonton southside staple, say shopper rates have noticeably declined since the city introduced a mobile payment system for the most convenient parking spaces.

Although the market doesn’t have specific data available, communications co-ordinator Micaela Szpigiel says some vendors have noticed an almost 50-per-cent reduction in sales since weekend visitors began having to pay for parking at the Gateway Boulevard lot.

“Of course, it’s not just that; there’s economic impact, spending habits, social habits. There’s a lot of different things that go into how many people come into this farmers’ market every Saturday and Sunday,” she said.

The parking lot used to be leased to the farmers’ market operators, wherein money generated all week went toward maintenance and parking was free on Saturdays.

The City of Edmonton took over the lot last year, using generated revenue for the city budget, Szpiegiel said.

The rate is $2.50 per hour and paid using a QR code, which takes you to the HotSpot Parking app on a cellphone.

The market has said based on newsletter subscriber responses, about 70 per cent of its customers drive. Around 13 per cent of those drivers no longer park in the nearest lot. The issue, however, may not be the act of having to pay itself.

Szpigiel says organizers are having to help somebody figure out how to navigate the lot’s payment app “a dozen times a weekend.”

“This happened about a year ago now, and every single weekend, we still get complaints from all kinds of customers about, not specifically paying for parking, but the fact that they have to scan a QR code, download an app, upload their credit card information,” Szpigiel said.

“It’s just a lot, and it’s a really big change, especially for the older demographic … imagine you forget your phone at home, or your phone dies, or your credit card doesn’t upload properly. There’s so many pain points that can come up, and that’s what we’ve been hearing.”

Vendor thoughts and market availability

Reports from vendors CTV News Edmonton spoke to are mixed.

“I would say that since the beginning of January, since the new year, we have seen about a 20 to 30-per-cent decrease in traffic,” Stephanie Ould, the owner of Oh My Goodies, said on Saturday.

“I would say, though, that my numbers, my sales have not been affected. I think it’s more so about getting the right people through the door.”

She noted that having slower traffic also gives vendors more time to connect with the customers, which could contribute to a boost in sales.

“It’s just about finding that balance,” she said.

Darrell McMahon, owner of Charly’s Pepper Products, said the parking is a stress factor for otherwise carefree shoppers.

“They’re not able to spend as long at the market. A lot of times they’re looking for free parking around on the street someplace, they can’t find that. It’s discouraging them,” he said.

“Every penny they had to spend on parking is a penny they can’t spend in the market here … I’d like to see the city work out something with the market.”

Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz said that there are other factors at play when it comes to lower traffic volumes.

“The vendor numbers I’ve seen show that there’s consistent numbers of people coming to the market on a weekend. It’s just, instead of them all coming on Saturday, they’re spreading it out between Saturday and Sunday,” he told CTV News Edmonton.

He added the market being open more often is a requirement in its newest lease from the city. He wants to see it open even more down the road.

Szpigiel says expanding the number of open-market days isn’t currently being considered.

“Opening on Sundays was also a really big shift and change … we opened the side door, our market store, and that’s open Tuesday to Sundays,” she said.

“That was our way of allowing our vendors to make more of an income and more exposure for their products when the actual market building is closed.”

She added that market organizers are actively working with the city to come up with a more accessible solution for parking, like a tap-to-pay option, and that the city has been “very co-operative.”

“We don’t know when there will be a solution for the parking situation, but we don’t think that that should be the reason why people don’t come to our farmers’ market and support local,” she said.

Janz said that a city council parking discussion is scheduled for June.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg