Green and Conservative councillors dismissed it as an expensive “vanity project” that wasted “precious public funds”.
Green councillor Pete West asked about the cost and whether the scheme was value for money at a meeting before Christmas.
He plans to follow up the answers with more questions for Labour councillor Trevor Muten, Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet member for transport.
His questions focus on the council’s park and ride trial over seven days in August which was run from the Sussex University campus, in Falmer. It was used by more than 200 people a day and cost £52,000 to operate.
Cllr West said: “I am grateful to the cabinet member for his response to my recent question about the summer park and ride.
“This clearly reveals the scheme to have been an expensive experiment that made little if any difference to travel choice.
“Rather than repeat this political vanity project this summer, I plan to ask, has any consideration been given to the alternative of investing these precious public funds into supporting and incentivising use of scheduled sustainable transport journeys arriving into the city?”
He wants to know whether the council would consider offering visitors bus and rail ticket price discounts or local retail rewards for taking the green option.
In the draft version of his question, Cllr West also raised concerns about large areas covered in concrete to build car parks for a park and ride.
He also touched on the cost of setting up a full service running to millions and the lack of plans to reduce the number of parking spaces in the centre of Brighton.
Conservative councillor Alistair McNair shared concerns about the taxpayer “subsidising” each car that used the service and the effect on the council budget.
Cllr McNair said: “It only brought in on average 200 cars per day over only seven days. How many people have they put off with their road restrictions, congestion and high parking costs?
“We are no nearer to having a permanent park and ride scheme. In the meantime, Labour and Greens have continued to make the centre of the city increasingly expensive for tourists and its own residents to visit.
“Parking charges are exorbitant and the council seems keen to put drivers off with poorly signposted bus gates which have resulted in numerous fines.
“Roads are narrower, which increases congestion, and parking for tradespeople and the disabled is ever-more limited – remember the Greens took out disabled parking on the seafront to put in a second cycle lane.”
Cllr McNair was also concerned that if a park and ride was brought in, a future Labour or Green council would make parking more expensive or access to central Brighton more difficult with a “car-free” city centre.
He said that people coming by car were more likely to buy more and support local shops.
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