Drumheller Town Council has agreed to continue its program to charge for parking at the Hoodoo site.
The town implemented a pilot project to charge for parking at the Hoodoo site. In the initial pilot in 2019 parking was charged at $2 per car. In 2020 they added a charge of $10 for buses. In the first year, the program raised $27,559.
This year with declining tourism numbers during the COVID-19, the program was not as successful. With about 4,000 less cars, the program raised about $19,000.
The program utilized four employees to work rotating shifts, including a permanent town employee as a supervisor. The Canada Summer Jobs 2020 placement program subsidized three employees between July 13 and August 28. This helped make up for the loss in revenue.
Some of the recommendations discussed include that the program requires at least two staff members to safely operate and handle cash. It is also an opportunity to increase customer service and to supply parking attendants with tourist information, maps, and flyers. They could cross-train with Travel Drumheller or the Chamber of Commerce staff to familiarize employees with the valley’s offerings.
For security, they recommended a portable power supply to install security cameras in the portable shelter.
Council agreed to continue the program for the coming summer with a charge of $2 per personal car and $10 per bus.
