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Victoria city councillors will wait to hear from the Downtown Victoria Business Association before deciding whether to reinstate pre-COVID-19 parking rates at on-street meters.

City staff had recommended restoring the regular fees as a way to spur turnover and ensure that people can find places to park in an increasingly busy downtown.

But councillors wanted to make sure that businesses support the move and will revisit the issue at council’s Aug. 6 meeting.

Council cut parking rates in April and stopped enforcing time limits — except in 30-minute zones — initially to help essential workers and later to help businesses hard hit by the pandemic.

The cost of parking at 90-minute metered spaces in the core area initially dropped to $1 an hour from $3. The rate was increased to $2 an hour last month due to increased use and will return to $3 if councillors move ahead with staff’s recommendation next month.

A number of other parking initiatives were approved Thursday, including resuming enforcement of time limits in unmetered zones and reinstating regular parking rates at the busy Centennial Square and Yates Street parkades as of Aug. 4.

Reduced rates remain in effect at the Broughton Street, View Street and Johnson Street parkades. — Times Colonist