Calgary Parking Authority cleans house - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

shermanator · 05-20-2011, 10:27 AM

The Calgary Parking Authority have fired their top honchos, in large part due to their horrible public image that seems to grow worse by the day.

Quote:

After a tumultuous recent history for the Calgary Parking Authority capped off by a damning report into its activities last year, the city agency announced Thursday that general manager Dale Fraser has been terminated from his job.

It is a major move by the organization’s board of directors, and comes after a string of public missteps by the authority, including customer service and technical problems with the ParkPlus system and criticism of an enforcement-heavy way of doing business.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/travel/...208/story.html

mykalberta · 05-20-2011, 10:30 AM

I actually think they have done an excellent job. Being able to pay for parking with your cell phone is a work of genius.

SeeBass · 05-20-2011, 10:34 AM

the rates are a joke though

Kybosh · 05-20-2011, 10:37 AM

I have had infractions written three times in the time it took for me to walk up and buy a parking ticket. Enforcement heavy is an understatement.

WilsonFourTwo · 05-20-2011, 12:05 PM

In 2008, I donated my old car to the Kidney Foundation.

I left it overnight (about 8 hours) in a strip mall parking lot next to my apartment. There was little room on the street, and I wanted to make it easy for the tow truck to back in and grab the car. I left large-print notes on the windshield and drivers seat indicating what was happening. This is one car in a 200 stall lot, while all of the businesses are closed, still managed to get a ticket.......of course, not until they mailed me an overdue notice.

Called the parking authority, the clerk told me 'tough luck, pay the ticket'. Spoke with her supervisor. He said 'tough luck, pay the ticket'. Then I called Dale Fraser directly. Took about 5 minutes to get it sorted out. I tell this story because (imo) it illustrates absolutely everything that's wrong with the CPA. No common sense, no respect, no customer service......just all-around dooshieness.

On a personal level, Mr. Fraser was really apologetic about the whole thing and I truly appreciate him getting involved.

mykalberta · 05-20-2011, 12:08 PM

I guess so long as they are following the posted Calgary Parking rules I have no problem with them enforcing the bylaw as it stands.

At least for downtown, Calgary Parking mandate is there to work in conjunction with Calgary Transit to reduce the number of vehicles entering the downtown core. From that perspective where I stand they are operating as intended.

Huntingwhale · 05-20-2011, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

No common sense, no respect, no customer service......just all-around dooshieness.

Good riddance. Dale Fraser has to be the most hated man in Calgary. CPA is suppose to be a service for Calgarians, not a 'cash cow' for the city to operate on. This day has been a long time coming and hopefully positive changes can be made for the city.

Bill Bumface · 05-20-2011, 01:16 PM

Every time I've appealed a CPA ticket I've gotten off..... and also I haven't had to pay the fine.

JustAnotherGuy · 05-20-2011, 04:11 PM

What is the Parking Authority's mandate? To manage the city of Calgary's parking spots or to hand out as many tickets as possible? I accept that they manage the parking spots but they do not need to be such dbags with the ticketing.

I worked at a client's office for about 4 months that was on 12 ave SW. There was this one spot where there was a fire hydrant. The parking signage overlapped the fire hydrant. So people would read the signs and park there. They would get a ticket for parking too close to a fire hydrant. The security guy for the building said he watched it all day as car after car would get a ticket. 10-12 cars a day. effin Parking Authority needs to change their attitude.

Of course that story this week of the parking authority watching a guy parking illegally and then giving him a ticket after the driver walked away. More bull crap.

CrusaderPi · 05-20-2011, 06:28 PM

If you park legally you have nothing to worry about people. Follow the rules, it's just that simple.

JustAnotherGuy · 05-20-2011, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrusaderPi

If you park legally you have nothing to worry about people. Follow the rules, it's just that simple.

What about the scenerio where the parking authority person stands there and watches them park illegally and then gives a ticket after they park. Shouldn't he/she step up and let the person know they are parking illegally?

I am talking about the situation where the parking rules are not clearly marked.

jammies · 05-20-2011, 07:11 PM

Usually some dillhole UPS driver has taken up 5 spaces and I *have* to park on top of an old lady or else I'll miss latte happy hour. Why can't The Man be reasonable?

RogerWilco · 05-20-2011, 09:00 PM

They need to clean house in the planning department next. What an incompetant Cole tion of fools CPAG is.

SebC · 05-20-2011, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeeBass

the rates are a joke though

Why? Are they too high, causes spaces that would otherwise be occupied to be left empty? Or too low, such that more people want spaces than there are spaces available?

If the issue is that there are not enough spaces, then your issue is not with the parking authority but with city hall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykalberta

At least for downtown, Calgary Parking mandate is there to work in conjunction with Calgary Transit to reduce the number of vehicles entering the downtown core. From that perspective where I stand they are operating as intended.

This is true. The problem is Calgary Transit isn't living up to its end of the bargain. The city has limited parking to push people towards transit, but now there are so many people taking transit that the system hasn't been able to keep up.

frinkprof · 05-20-2011, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SebC

Why? Are they too high, causes spaces that would otherwise be occupied to be left empty? Or too low, such that more people want spaces than there are spaces available?

If the issue is that there are not enough spaces, then your issue is not with the parking authority but with city hall.This is true. The problem is Calgary Transit isn't living up to its end of the bargain. The city has limited parking to push people towards transit, but now there are so many people taking transit that the system hasn't been able to keep up.

In a similar way to how space availability lies at the feet of Council (which is what I assume you mean by "city hall," since CPA is business unit of the City of Calgary), Calgary Transit is only part of the overall problem too. Transit service hours and capital infrastructure expenditures are set by Council.

frinkprof · 05-20-2011, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerWilco

They need to clean house in the planning department next. What an incompetant Cole tion of fools CPAG is.

I agree and I think it will happen to a degree (based on observations and rumblings). Community and Protective Services could use some changes as well.

SOMBRI2 · 05-21-2011, 02:03 AM

surprise but no surprise!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Fi...900/story.html

"Newly terminated Calgary Parking Authority managers Dale Fraser and Al Bazar had listed themselves as inventors on a U.S. patent for a system for managing parking rights — casting the city’s foreign rights to the automated ParkPlus in doubt.

Records show Fraser and Bazar’s U.S. patenting application process began on Jan. 15, 2010, and is still underway. However, they applied for a PCT number, which is the worldwide patent code, in July 2007."

Nuje · 05-21-2011, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOMBRI2

surprise but no surprise!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Fi...900/story.html

"Newly terminated Calgary Parking Authority managers Dale Fraser and Al Bazar had listed themselves as inventors on a U.S. patent for a system for managing parking rights — casting the city’s foreign rights to the automated ParkPlus in doubt.

Records show Fraser and Bazar’s U.S. patenting application process began on Jan. 15, 2010, and is still underway. However, they applied for a PCT number, which is the worldwide patent code, in July 2007."

Is the system honestly both revolutionary and unique enough that anything of this sort will be even worth it? Paying for parking with cell phones, credit cards, debit, etc. MUST have been done elsewhere at least as good as we have it here that nobody in their right mind would pay for our system.

SeeBass · 05-21-2011, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SebC

Why? Are they too high, causes spaces that would otherwise be occupied to be left empty? Or too low, such that more people want spaces than there are spaces available?

If the issue is that there are not enough spaces, then your issue is not with the parking authority but with city hall.This is true. The problem is Calgary Transit isn't living up to its end of the bargain. The city has limited parking to push people towards transit, but now there are so many people taking transit that the system hasn't been able to keep up.

Have you compared our rates to the rest of the cities in NA?

Way out of whack for a praire city of a million

WilsonFourTwo · 05-21-2011, 08:26 AM

A little off topic, but.....

What would CP think about a "Entering Downtown Fee/Congestion Fee" to help offset parking costs?

Don't get caught up in the details, just curious if anyone thinks the idea is worth exploring.