Thursday July 10, 2025 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Parking your car or truck in Langford has been easy and free for a long time.
The City of Langford is now looking at what they call modernization of their parking bylaw.
Even as more people use bicycles. take public transit or walk to their intended destinations, vehicle parking is very important to Langford residents and businesses.
Ease of parking in most areas of town including downtown — and pretty much all of it free — has been a highlight of commercial and residential life in the west shore community.
Current parking conditions and standards:
The bylaw update is aimed at better reflecting current parking conditions and to align parking standards with Langford’s evolving transportation patterns.
Survey online:
Public input about parking is open through Monday July 14 (to 11:59 pm) regarding both off-street parking (amount required in newly developed areas) and on-street parking (managed in downtown areas).
The survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Content is about both residential and commercial areas including downtown.
Questions include aspects of Accessible parking.
All questions are optional, but participants can indicate their area of residence and whether they have a business in Langford.
Changes that may come:
What the City learns from the survey will help the City understand the parking needs of residents, businesses, employees, and the development community.
The current city council is keen to see Langford grow thoughtfully, in ways that make communities and services better for everyone.
The survey is divided into four sections:
- your vehicle and bicycle parking habits
- your experiences with parking in Langford
- challenges you face with on-street parking in downtown Langford
- potential new approaches the City could consider when updating the off-street parking requirements for new development
Off-Street Parking:
Off-street parking includes parking spaces for vehicles and bicycles located on the development property itself, including underground and surface lots.
Langford’s Zoning Bylaw outlines off-street parking requirements for any new development in the city. Off-street parking requirements identify the number of parking spaces that must be provided on private property at a new building, depending on the building’s use (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.). This includes vehicle parking, accessible parking, and bicycle parking.
Excess parking requirements can become a major cost for a development, which can impact project viability and create less opportunity for new housing or commercial space, whereas a lack of parking can create a barrier to how people access shops, services, and daily needs. Finding a balance in parking needs helps to support livability, affordability, and sustainable growth in the community.
On-Street Parking:
Public on-street parking is also created as part of new development.
This parking is usually located along the road edge and is owned and regulated by the City. To support the Parking Bylaw Modernization project, the City is also seeking to better understand how residents and visitors use the on-street parking and public parking lots within Langford’s downtown.
Other Langford surveys:
Two other City of Langford surveys are active right now, which will lead to analysis of Natural Areas and also Arts and Culture.
- Environment and Natural Areas (open to July 14, 2025)
- Arts & Culture (open to August 17, 2025)
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: LANGFORD | WEST SHORE LOCAL | SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND