These parking meters could see a change in rates and hours, if Vancouver adopts recommendations in a report from city staff. (CBC)

The City of Vancouver's budget crunch could lead to an increase in parking-meter charges — and for a longer time each day.

Among the proposals city council members will be considering Thursday to help deal with a $61-million budget shortfall is one to raise the top rate at downtown meters to $6 an hour from the current $5 an hour.

Rates start at $1 an hour in other areas of the city and would not be raised.

City staff are also recommending a city-wide extension of hours when parking meters must be used. The current mandatory hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. These could be extended by two hours, until 10 p.m.

But the city insists the extension of hours is as much about parking efficiency as it is about filling city coffers.

"By extending the hours to 10 p.m. we will have some turnover," said Jerry Dobrovolny, the assistant city engineer. "And our goal is to have at least 15 per cent of the spaces vacant so there is a place for people to park when they come downtown."

A staff report noted that the extended metered-parking hours vary widely in other cities around the Lower Mainland and elsewhere in North America. Hours in Richmond, B.C., are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., in Calgary 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Toronto 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Seattle 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and New York 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The changes would bring the City of Vancouver a projected $5.8 million more a year from parking meters.

Meters currently generate about $30 million a year for Vancouver.