The bottom feeders of the city. These useless numb-buckets do ZERO due diligence and assume their brainless workers who take photos are doing their job. THEY AREN'T. Parked out front of my house, NO SIGNAGE on the block about street cleaning and yet received a ticket by some moron who clearly didn't do his job. Horrible oversite and the management is even worse. read more

Report an illegal parking on Saturday, and it took 2 hours for the officer to arrive at the sceen. No wornder people say the CPA is USELESS. Calgary tax payer's money is so easy to be collected, so it is so easy to make on. read more

I had experience with them by getting information by phone and unfortunately that people that sit behind the phone do not know basic laws regarding the parking in Calgary. Very disappointed with the service. read more

Called them 4 hours ago about a truck parked on a fire lane for 4 hours and no one came. Calgary Parking Authority is USELESS. The people on the phone are also incompetent. read more

We got a ticket despite paying. The parking plus employee took the picture and wrote the ticket before we even had a chance to walk to the machine. He Literally followed us to our parking spot and the second we exited the car he took a picture of the plate. He then watched us pay for parking but because the picture was taken before we had a chance to pay he ticketed us. It was also "lost in the mail" so the fine went to the max amount and we were unable to fight it. read more

Borderline theft! We have a very small Class B van/camper that was parked on a quiet street in our area. We have always parked it there every summer when we come back to Calgary. The vehicle and a small cargo trailer was ticketed and then towed while we were away and out of the country. We were advised by a family member and immediately went to work to get it out of the impound. My father-in-law went down and they told him what was needed in order for him to get it released. We then provided the authorization letter and emailed with our signature to him. He went back and then they asked for more information. We then provided that information. Bottom line is that it took 8 trips to the impound because they kept changing the requirements. Obviously, this was to keep the vehicle there so that they could continue to earn fees on the storage. The THEFT comes in here. Now they will not release the cargo trailer. It is an old trailer that was painted black and now has graffiti on it (art). The color does not match the registration anymore. Secondly, it now looks like the VIN # fell off or deteriorated. This trailer sits in Mexico all winter and the age of the trailer along with the salt air it rusted off. This is clearly our trailer. It was attached to our RV. The plates match the plates on our registration. However, they refused to release it. Again, to make it difficult and earn more money through the storage. This has been stressful on my 74 year old father-in-law and on us as we are in Europe. It is totally insane. We still do not have it and now cannot deal with it until we are back. I will be calling the police and reporting it but dout they will care. read more

I paid for parking outside my eye doctor's office, but mistyped my license plate (was it because I worried about what I was going to learn about how quickly I'm to go blind, or just a senior's moment -- I'm 78, but I'm not interested in getting special consideration, I think the whole system sucks, for everyone). I got a ticket, of course -- and that's reasonable, we can't expect their computer system to identify close matches. The slip of paper had an appeals number (email address) so I sent the ticket and my receipt fully expecting them (how naive I was) to say something like "Thank you, we'll correct our records, please be more careful next time." Instead I got a condescending offer to reduce the fine to $5 plus GST. When I queried that, they stop responding -- I guess negotiations are limited to one kick at the can. Several weeks later I get a Past Due notice for 119.75 (I guess there is some rule about being able to charge up to twice the fine) along with threats to go to collections and law suits. If this sort bullying happened in the school yard, the principal would be involved sure as anything. I've had better customer service from the CRA. I think this is outrageous, a totally disproportionate response from an agency that is too enamoured with their own importance to worry about ... I hesitate to say their customers because we are not their customers any more than snow crabs are customers for Maritime fisherman -- we are just a resource to be harvested​. Their true customers are those land owners who contract with them to manage parking around their buildings (or the city, for municipal lots). Until they start to care, nothing is going to change for us who get severely punished for questioning their policies and for making a data entry error. It was so much safer for us when we just had to put our receipt on the dashboard. read more

Terrible service. I've had to call a number of times and their phone employees are regularly snippy or downright rude. Don't ever forget to pay at the start of a parking session, past noon there is no recourse to pay it, you just get the pleasure of a parking ticket to pay instead, no matter what. Worst service experience on top of previously having my car broken into in one of their underground lots. Will no longer be using this service and recommend anyone else to go out of their way to use a better one. read more

I caught myself about to give them a 5-star, hey, I believe in karma lol. But seriously, they've got their sh*t together. Back home, we use the phone system as each meter in between 2 cars have a 5 digit code, versus Calgary's wider options: phone, pay by license, text, and that scan code. And no cash: no way for the city to grab your $ when the meter's defective. What impressed me the most, is the keyboard dims at night so you can see what you're entering, plus every station has literally a lamplight on top too, so easier to find. And printing out the receipt is slick. Yes, parking is apparently the most expensive in Canada, and top 5 in North America but it works. Plus the fact that it's a write off lol. Bonus though, is the CITY offers free battery boost and flat tire services! Well, guess you're paying for it any case but back home, only the private operators will do this. Not Vancouver city hall. read more

Calgary Parking Authority - Parking Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

When you place a call, an automated message advise you to behave and says it "may" be recorded. I strongly advise to record all calls to find out how low and rude the operators are on the other side of the line. One of the reps had a thick accent himself and was mocking of my accent and was resistant to listen to me and wouldn't let me finish, so I had to ask to transfer me to another rep, though you should've heard her attitude and anger just because I didn't want to deal with her rude and out of line co-worker. This not a way to treat a ''PAID CUSTOMER" if they have an important issue(s). Please record "ALL CONVERSATIONS" and let them know our tax and fines pays for their paycheque. read more

Well get excited folks, because if you are already ecstatic that your car got impounded, you are also going to get to deal with some true champions here at the Calgary Impound Lot. Put two hands in the air, scream "fuck yeah" at the top of your lungs, and bring your piña colodas because this is going to be a party. Car was impounded. Needed to get insurance slip from car so I could make my payment and get outta there. Took them an hour to get me an attendant to escort me to my car and get my stuff. Get back. At this point there is about eight of us waiting. They have one guy dealing with everyone, with two other ladies sitting at other windows with the "this window is closed sign". I wait for half an hour more. Person walks in the door, skips the lineup, goes right to one of the closed ladies, and she starts helping him. So I say "Excuse me - are you guys open right now?" They say "Yeah". I'm like "You guys both realize you're sitting there with "this window is closed" signs on your windows." "Whoops my bad!" They take them off. I totally understood - I figured they were probably deep into a raid on World of Warcraft or looking up taco salad recipes for later that evening to not notice the 8 other fucking people sitting there waiting. So the next time you're driving, I want you to remember this. Park your car in the middle of the intersection and go get a frozen yogurt. Walk away from the parking metre with no fear in your eyes. Sit shotgun while your dog drives around the neighbourhood. Because the great reward is that you get to deal with the winners down here at Calgary Municipal Impound Lot. Fuck yeah guys, keep up the good work. Only took you an hour and forty minutes to get me my car back. read more

The ParkPlus System Cell Phone Account is the bomb. Why it took me so long to sign up for this is beyond me, but I guess you don't know what you don't know. The day I activated my account was the day I had a meltdown with the ParkPlus System Pay Machine. I was downtown, the weather was below 30 degrees with the howling wind ripping between the office buildings and I was trying to use my Visa to pay for parking. The machine was frozen so I walked 3/4 of a block to another one. It too was frozen and then, so was my heart. I was so angry and cold that I just kept going and never did pay for parking. Even the authorities weren't driving that morning I'm sure, because I was lucky enough to not get a ticket. Upon returning home, I activated my cell phone account and all was well with the world. No more fussing in bad weather, no more waiting for the confused ParkPlus System newbie and no more overpaying! read more

I have mixed feelings about CPA. First of all the pros. It seems to be a well thought out system; the parking stands marked numerically, there is no paper work involved simply an entering of your license plate which then gets computerised somewhere in CPA cosmos. They seem to be easy to find, you have an option of using change or your credit card, which is convenient. I have received parking retributions in the mail, a photo of my lovely SUV and the appropriate time to pay which I think is clever, although there should be a 10 minute loading zone by this post office where I went to pick up a package and I don't agree with paying $2.50 do to that, but whatever, I paid the $40.00 repercussion. So great diligence on parking surveillance team, photos were clear and I believe there were even two angles. When I went down to pick up a parking pass for my residence, folks there were both pleasing friendly and humorous and I was able to get my sticker and a guest pass at no cost. Cons, what's with these atrocious parking prices, are we in Toronto or New York for that matter? Why must I pay 5.00 an hour to go to Chinatown or to Eau Claire market to see a movie? I am already paying 13.00 for the movie itself, so my movie outing is over 23.00? And why are these parking stalls never working, change is always jammed up in the change slot, and they are more often out of order than working. When I call an attendant, I get a machine so I am left to make a rapid decision of should I not pay here at this stall or risk the $40 I will get in the mail simply because of a computer malfunction? Why isn't there diligence on parking stall maintenance, can they transfer some of the great organised energy form surveillance to keeping these stalls up to par. After all 5.00 an hour, aren't we paying more than enough to actually own one of these? Last but not least, why doesn't City Hall know where the CPA is? No one at information, nor at city planning has any idea nor phone number as to where to pay for parking fines, get permits etc. I believe I was handed a number by some passerby working at the business permits area who overheard my conversation. Okay this is the end of my official rant on Calgary Parking Authority. read more

No ones like paying for parking, especially me. Seriously, who's going to wax poetic about any institution when the main form of interaction or communications with them is a parking ticket? Not me. So why the hell have I given them 4 stars? Let's start with the good. ParkPlus IS a better system than parking meters for a couple of reasons - ease of credit card payments (no Amex though, tsk tsk) cellphone accounts are awesome and they've just introduced text to park. I like. A lot. I usually pay for parking as part of a professional meeting of some sort so I guess I'm not *really* paying for it. But, when the tickets arrive (and they do) I AM paying for it. Honestly, I'm a little boozy as I write this review and everything seems rosier, but let's face it, any time I can use technology to make my life easier (including parking) I'm a fan. read more

Keep in mind everyone,calgary as city does not have money to pay their Councillors, thus parking is very strict, even for 1 minute extra they will give a $ 40 ticket. I parked for 2 hours paid for 2 hours at the library and I got a ticket of $ 40 for the the one extra minute,horrible city.same way they are increasing the residents taxes for absolutely no services offered . cheap-ester foul play Councillors. absolute MONEY MAKING MACHINE !! STAY AWAY read more

Brutal. Ruthless. Parked my RV to stretch my legs and got a ticket. Would you rather me drive dangerously or be responsible. Not cool. Get a real job. read more

Their appeal process is ridiculous. They read a couple words from a paragraph length appeal and deny the appeal then offer no options to reinstate the appeal and have someone competent address it. Maybe because they don't have anyone competent to address it. Living costs of downtown (if parking on the street) are an extra 300$ a year indirectly through tickets, especially in the winter when signs are snowed down and roads are covered. You're still gonna get a ticket, so you are better off parking in the stop you know you'll need 3 people to push you out of! read more

I agree with Heather in that nobody 'likes' paying for parking. But, I dont MIND paying for *reasonable* parking. The one star is for the underhand and cheap way, either calgary road planners or in conjunction with CPA, decide to make previous free roads, chargeable. More on this later. I have no issues with getting tickets if its my own dumbass fault for being well over time or what have you on the 9th ave lot or whatever, I just chalk it up to the cost of doing business. I also have no issues with the fact that parking is controlled downtown. After all, if it wasnt a paid system, with time limits maximum, people would park there 24 hours a day 365 and their would be no fair turn a bouts for different folks. I get that. What is irksome is the high pricing. I wouldn't mind a buck 50 an hour, MAX in some areas. I also have no issue with the CPA staff, public facing and behind the scenes. They are all doing their jobs, and following orders, somewhat like the poor little german recruit fighting for the Nazis, he's doing it for a paycheque. They know its a distasteful exercise, and the parking resi permit ladies are nice enough. I'm sure the parking wardens (thats what we call em in Europe) a good half of them are decent fair minded people. However there's probably a good minority who are little hitlers. Eg, getting two tickets, one for 'being in a fire hydrant zone' and 'being within 1.5m of a driveway. The first one, funny that, they removed the original sign so one has no idea where it used to be, UNLESS you know where the original bolt holes in the sidewalk are. I do, and took photos. I was behind that on the legal side and ticket was thrown out. The other one? Fair cop, I was within 1.5m of a driveway, a multilevel parkade entrance. Where people frequently park, and there's still loads of room for cars to pull out. I was just the unlucky one, either getting clobbered by a jobsworth warden or someone bitched. So either ticket everyone by the entrance every day, or dont do it at all. You never knew that huh? Yep. You have to park a min of 1.5m away from a driveway, either residential or commercial. How to make sure? Its one standard concrete panel (1m wide I believe) and the part of the sidewalk that slopes down level for an entrance. As long as you are clear away of that, the MAN can't get you. So what's this about Calgary Roads and CPA doing the formerly free now paid switcheroo? Well. Remember before crowfoot LRT got finished? It was unrestricted parking all day every day, on both sides from the back of Northwest Acura all the way to the ford dealership opposite Mcdonalds. Here: https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.1229099,-114.205888,3a,75y,307.03h,71.67t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sTy_2n5mHdBcnTvmLKiANnQ!2e0 Im sure a real blessing for folk working there. As soon as the LRT was finished, and the paid parking lot was up and running at the LRT, either time/paid or restrictions poles were put up all the way along the road. Can't have working stiffs not using the paid parking at the LRT now can we? Although Im sure it was a complete coincidence, and it was done for 'safety' and 'traffic flow'. Right. Much like sleeping policemen/traffic bumps/rat run cut offs (16th ave stretch heading eastbound towards deerfoot) and 40kph limits crop up like fast spreading warts on residential areas and roads that just happen to have some of the richest voters because the poor muffins dont like other peoples cars driving on 'their' roads they pay for through gas taxes. Complete coincidence, must be. read more

If you are using the CITY OF CALGARY PARKPLUS APP!!! STOP !!!! It is unreliable it does not always start a session!!!! And if it does you sometime need to find another way to end your session (happened to me twice last week) The APP just stops working and you have to try and log in again and sometimes that does not work. I found out the hard way by getting my first parking ticket ever! The City & the park plus people will tell you they have a hard and fast process to look into this but I can tell you they do not! IT is a shame at best! They are big government! The fact that I have used their system every working day for the past 5+ years and they can see my parking history along with I called on the day of my parking incident to try and rectify once I realized their APP had a problem ...they were not interested they said wait for the ticket and then PAY IT or take BIG City to COURT! I tried to use their appeal process but frankly I doubt they evenI doubt they even looked at the notes OR EVEN CARED! SO today I went to their office to PAY their unfair parking tax and close my account and asked for my money on my account back.... Well they even have a two week make work process for that! Any other business will issue refunds on the spot if you want to close your account...NOT so with PARK PLUS they have a process for that as well to follow and I must wait at least two weeks for my refund and they tell me they will email about that as well ??? So I guess they may decide NOT to return my account balance. MY guess is that money is now gone as well! I can only hope if the CITY fathers decide to forge ahead spending our TAX dollars on convention centers and entertainment instead of crime and city residents fire and emergency safety that the 100 or jobs they plan to cut starts here with the PARKPLUS monster. read more

I wish I could give 0 stars. I use their parking app, which I have preloaded $50 on to pay parking as I live downtown and use many services downtown. However, one day their app was down, and while I was in a hair appointment unable to go outside, I was trying to use the app I prepaid on to pay for my parking. Unfortunately it was not working and I was ticketed. However, I did not know I was ticketed since I was in my hair appointment and finally got the app to work and paid my parking on the app. Not only am I being forced to pay their parking ticket that was issued due to their error, but they are also not refunding me for the parking I paid via app that day, so I am paying parking AND a ticket. Total scam. If your app doesn't work, I'd like my prepaid money from my app refunded. read more

Parking rates are too high in Calgary. The patrol stalks you and pounces the moment you leave your car. $60 parking ticket? Is that really necessary? Good thing the head honcho got bagged recently. But, will the parking situation in Downtown Calgary ever improve? You get one star for your fancy new machines, CPA, but even more knocked off for your bad attitude, buggy machines, and high parking rates. read more

I want the CPA & I to be BFF's because where I live they have ALOT of chances of handing out lots and lots tickets because I have morons who don't read the signs or could care less if people live where there is an empty parking space. I live in a townhouse complex and I know in the near future they will be busy!!! read more

Our crew is working on a job site and even if our client does add our vehicles on the visitors parking daily we still getting tickets. After the 3rd ticket I did submit an appeal and has been decline by saying that out client had use the 2 visitors parking, that is not possible because we are the only one using the parking. I email them back by saying that we do have gps record of all our vehicles and we didn't had more than 2 vehicles on this address on that day but without providing any evidence they still saying that we had more than 2 visitors register. Now I can we ever know how many vehicles are register? Even worst I had ask to advice us on how I can prevent my guys from getting tickets since that we will be working on this site for other 2 months, and they simply did ignore my request. Today I did receive a phone call that with no explanation whatsoever she did repeat me the same false statement. When I ask to speak with the supervisor she did refuse to put him thru, and when I ask the supervisor name and number she was rude and she did refuse again. What a horrible service and horrible staff, I'm stunned. read more

Out and out liars. Gave me a ticket for being an hour over allotted time, which is simply not true. I was running late for an appointment and just happened to note the exact time I parked. 10:25 am. Ticket was issued at 10:48am. They claim my tires were chalked at 9:40 am which is physically impossible because I was still at home at that time! But even through an appeal I am guilty because I can't prove I'm innocent, but the idiot that issued the ticket gets taken at his word. I would grudgingly pay this if I did it. BUT I didn't, so its the principle of it that irks me! But I guess that doesn't matter. I have to wonder how often people get zinged like this? So now do I go to court over a $40 ticket or avoid the hassle and just pay it? Probably most people pay it. read more

Calgary Parking Authority is a Cash Grab. They will incorrectly and illegally ticket your vehicle and not consider a margin of error. If you request an administrative review they will be biased to their co-workers and state that your ticket is still in effect. If you get a ticket from them FIGHT IT!! It's time they are called out for their lies and biased behavior. read more

I had my vehicle towed to Car Jail. Upon arriving at the impound lot, I realized I had all the pertinent papers except my drivers license. I was informed that I would require my drivers license as proof of my Identity. As I had my DL stolen in a car prowling the week before I trudged off to the Motor Vehicles registry to obtain the temporary license they give you while you wait for the new one to arrive via mail. Making it back to the Prison For Vehicles (PFV) with the coveted and necessary drivers license I was quickly doused with her cold words of "you cant use this for Identification" "It says so right on it ....see". And it did say that, Bloody hell. So I cant prove who I am at this point. My eyeballs were on fire when she offers this gem of a ridiculously pathetic loophole (for which I am grateful as I eventually got my car). She asks if I am with anybody because I can give authorization to them to drive my vehicle out and I can then swap once the vehicle clears the gate. ***CAN ANYONE SEE HOW MESSED UP THAT IS??*** So I cant prove to her WHO I am so she can release my vehicle to me, BUT I can AUTHORIZE someone to receive it? How does the impound lot lady know I am authorized to authorize if I cant prove who I am? I of course keep this all inside as I gleefully navigate the side route of this pathetic sham of a "business". After announcing my 231.07 dollar bill for 24 hrs of parking "privileges", I handed over 3 hundreds, a loonie and a nickle. She starts counting out 65 in bills and grabs 4 loonies and was hunting for the rest when I asked what she was doing because I was owed 70 dollars back because of the HIGHLY PUBLICIZED penny rounding. She said I was getting back 69.98 and since she none in her till she went off looking for pennies. I told her I dont want pennies. My G/F chimed in and told her that the penny was discontinued which makes you wonder why if she handles money probably EVERY DAY she would not know of this denominational retirement. I ended up getting my 70 bucks when another parking nazi came over and told her that these were not the droids they were looking for. I was told to sit and I would be called. I was alone save for my beautiful lady to my right. This was at 8:55. at 9:21 I went to the window and asked if someone was eventually coming. I was told they were on their way. At 9:41 we were walked behind the iron curtain and into a waiting chariot that took us to my vehicle which I then........you guessed it DROVE OUT! All in all a mind numbing experience fraught with attitude and laziness with a thick patina of contempt for the "customers" they serve. I gave 5 stars because these people are in a class all their own. I'm guessing the dregs of the Parking Authority Union are banished to the impound lot as a punishment of sorts. I cant think of any other reason everyone looks as though they want to kill themselves. read more