So who paid Transit parking fee's?

[Pagal4321]

Just got off the phone with my buddy and he said exactly that about the Dalhousie station. It was half full at 7:30 am, whereas Brentwood was full by then.

That gave me a chuckle, Dalhouse used to be full by 6:15am, just shows the response from transit users who do park and ride.

Wonder what will happen at the end of May, will be interesting to see.

[azzarish]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

I live in Scenic Acres in the NW where the new Crowfoot LRT station is going to be opened soon.

Will the fees be extended to Crowfoot since that will replace Dalhousie as the last station on the NW line?

Not that I'm overly concerned about the Crowfoot LRT opening soon since it's been in construction for about 3 years. I go past there everyday on the bus, I can't see it opening before the Summer or possibly longer.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Slava

I agree there is nothing illegal about that right now. But how hard would it be to implement that rule?

I imagine it would come at somewhat of a cost, and I don't really see the value added. The Metermaid has to climb out of their vehicle? Boohoo, I think that would be cheaper than putting up a s__tton of signs saying you can't back into stalls.

[azzarish]

Originally Posted by azzarish

Will the fees be extended to Crowfoot since that will replace Dalhousie as the last station on the NW line?

Not that I'm overly concerned about the Crowfoot LRT opening soon since it's been in construction for about 3 years. I go past there everyday on the bus, I can't see it opening before the Summer or possibly longer.

Haha. I was right. This from the calgary.ca site:
"2009: Crowfoot CTrain Station opens to the public on June 15, 2009."

What a joke! My next prediction. It won't open before the fall.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by azzarish

Will the fees be extended to Crowfoot since that will replace Dalhousie as the last station on the NW line?

The plan is to phase it into ALL park and rides (including Crowfoot once it gets built). According to the CBC link they said this would happen by the end of May...

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

I live in Scenic Acres in the NW where the new Crowfoot LRT station is going to be opened soon. A part of the development is a rather elaborate system that defines the area that will now require a special parking pass. They are setting how far out the passes are required. So if you park within that boundary without that pass you will get ticketed.

I believe I am outside of that boundary. So I will see if somebody starts to park in front of my place. I am not sure what if anything I will do about that.

My neighbour started a petition and we're now getting passes in my neighbourhood. (I live in Scenic Acres as well) So if you get 80% of your neighbours to agree you can get them too.

[darockwilder]

Originally Posted by azzarish

Not that I'm overly concerned about the Crowfoot LRT opening soon since it's been in construction for about 3 years. I go past there everyday on the bus, I can't see it opening before the Summer or possibly longer.

They keep delaying the opening of that station and it's really annoying. Initially it was supposed to open late 2008, then more specifically December 2008, then early 2009, then a date of March 6 2009, then changed to spring 2009, and now they again have a new specific date of June 13, 2009. For now anyways....

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Park at the place you are having coffee/beer etc. Transit spends money on maintaining these lots and has been passing the costs along to everyone who uses the system (less than 1% of them park at train stations) and to taxpayers. Instead they are making the people who use these lots bear the cost instead.

The purpose of the transit parking is for people who ride the train, no so someone living in a nearby apartment complex has unlimited parking.

I think you misunderstood my question. I wasn't suggesting people park in the transit lots when visiting people near those lots. My question was whether you'd get a ticket in the nearby residential area when parked in front of the house of someone you're visiting if CT starts handing out tickets to non-residents parked in those areas due to LRT users parking there. As I no longer live in Calgary I'm not aware of whether residential areas near transit parking lots are going to become a permit only zone, like downtown, or what the deal will be. I'm curious so I know whether I can still park at friends' houses in such areas when I'm visiting them in Calgary, or will I get ticketed?

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

I live in Scenic Acres in the NW where the new Crowfoot LRT station is going to be opened soon. A part of the development is a rather elaborate system that defines the area that will now require a special parking pass. They are setting how far out the passes are required. So if you park within that boundary without that pass you will get ticketed.

I believe I am outside of that boundary. So I will see if somebody starts to park in front of my place. I am not sure what if anything I will do about that.

So if I'm visiting someone within the boundary area, where am I supposed to park? Or will there be two hour limit? What if my visit lasts longer?

Edit: Okay, I read further and I see that residents will be issued visitors passes. So someone living within that zone can only have two visitors at once? What the hell? I have more than two visitors vehicles in front of my place several time a week. That's stupid. Glad I don't live in Calgary any more if they're bringing in Orwellian crap like that.

[johnnyluv]

Re: backing into spaces - the intention may be to screw with the meter maid, but the licensing department's handbook (and my old driver's ed teacher) also always recommend it. It's much safer than driving straight in - no way in hell the city bans it.

[Claeren]

Isn't the advantage here that you can actually get a parking spot each morning?

If you have 8000 people fighting for 1000 parking spots it is pretty basic (and conservative minded) economics to charge what the top 1000 people are willing to pay and then use that revenue elsewhere in the system.

It is actually a bigger waste of tax payer money to NOT charge for parking, as each single free parking spot with more than one customer is literally leaving money on the table. ANY private business would charge for a limited commodity like parking yet you don't want the government to be as financially responsible? I don't get it??


People just don't like change....



Claeren.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by azzarish

Haha. I was right. This from the calgary.ca site:
"2009: Crowfoot CTrain Station opens to the public on June 15, 2009."

What a joke! My next prediction. It won't open before the fall.

Seriously, what a load of bull. The one guy the having working on it must be going on holidays.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

So if I'm visiting someone within the boundary area, where am I supposed to park? Or will there be two hour limit? What if my visit lasts longer?

That person should have a pass that he can give you. (Each home gets two guest passes). I was also told if you're having a large party you can call the city before hand and they will not ticket that street.

[Claeren]

OH, and it is worth noting that for parking lots on the edge of the city a very high percentage of people parking there super early in the morning are NOT Calgarians. They are the leeches that live in Cochrane, Airdrie, LAngdon, Okotokes, etc that do not pay a penny in property taxes yet use Calgary's roads, transit, snow clearing, road maintenance, PARKING spaces, etc.

If you want to be mad be mad at them. The city talked about setting up toll booths entering into the city and no one supported that idea either.

This stuff isn't free. We already have lower taxes (income taxes and property taxes) than most anyone in Canada -- despite the complaining I hear (or perhaps BECAUSE of the complaining? lol).




Claeren.

[azzarish]

Originally Posted by darockwilder

They keep delaying the opening of that station and it's really annoying. Initially it was supposed to open late 2008, then more specifically December 2008, then early 2009, then a date of March 6 2009, then changed to spring 2009, and now they again have a new specific date of June 13, 2009. For now anyways....

I dug up a bit of history on it and I found out that they actually started working towards it in 2005. That's 4 years.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Byrns

That person should have a pass that he can give you. (Each home gets two guest passes). I was also told if you're having a large party you can call the city before hand and they will not ticket that street.

Ya, I saw that as I read further. That still stinks though. Like I said in my Edit on my post above, I have more than two visitors vehicles parked in front of my place regularly. What then? You're only allowed to have two friends over at once (assuming separate vehicles)? Or if you have several friends coming over they have to car pool it? Or you have to phone and clear it with the city every time you have friends over for a Flames game? Like I said above, that's too Orwellian for me and I'm glad I don't live under Bronco's regime any more.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Claeren

Isn't the advantage here that you can actually get a parking spot each morning?

If you have 8000 people fighting for 1000 parking spots it is pretty basic (and conservative minded) economics to charge what the top 1000 people are willing to pay and then use that revenue elsewhere in the system.

It is actually a bigger waste of tax payer money to NOT charge for parking, as each single free parking spot with more than one customer is literally leaving money on the table. ANY private business would charge for a limited commodity like parking yet you don't want the government to be as financially responsible? I don't get it??


People just don't like change....



Claeren.

And how many people are just going to drive directly to places now? That's $5 per person lost. Certainly CT's Ticketmaster-like inconvienence fee will still out strip that, but there are other costs. More people driving rather than taking the train means more traffic on the streets, more pollution, etc. Added costs of monitoring the lots. People looking to avoid paying the charges will be tying up street parking. As was noted above, there are going to be lots of ######bags parking in condo visitor stalls, putting pressure on those residences, and the boards to increase their own monitoring of their lots, and their own costs.

Frankly, I have no intention of ever paying this fee. For Hitmen games, I'll just drive to the Dome. It is now worth paying an extra $3 to avoid dealing with the massive incompetence of Calgary Transit. For Flames games and other things where the added time cost of parking on site would be an issue, I'll just park at Chinook Centre and walk two blocks.

Of course, there is also the fact that they are asking us to pay an additional $3 for nothing. I'd like to see those clowns justify this fee by actually giving a damn about providing good service.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

Ya, I saw that as I read further. That still stinks though. Like I said in my Edit on my post above, I have more than two visitors vehicles parked in front of my place regularly. What then? You're only allowed to have two friends over at once (assuming separate vehicles)? Or if you have several friends coming over they have to car pool it? Or you have to phone and clear it with the city every time you have friends over for a Flames game? Like I said above, that's too Orwellian for me and I'm glad I don't live under Bronco's regime any more.

Some permit communities only require a permit during the day. My girlfriend lives in Rosedale and it's only permit parking from 7am to 6pm or something like that.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Claeren

Isn't the advantage here that you can actually get a parking spot each morning?

If you have 8000 people fighting for 1000 parking spots it is pretty basic (and conservative minded) economics to charge what the top 1000 people are willing to pay and then use that revenue elsewhere in the system.

It is actually a bigger waste of tax payer money to NOT charge for parking, as each single free parking spot with more than one customer is literally leaving money on the table. ANY private business would charge for a limited commodity like parking yet you don't want the government to be as financially responsible? I don't get it??

I don't think the city is trying to create an "advantage" for people trying to get a parking spot (oh boy, what a spin job that would be!). Unless I'm way off base, I'm guessing that it's more like 8000 people fighting for 7000 spots. However, say there are only 3000 people that are willing/able to pay the fee. While it's cha-ching for the City to collect from the 3000 who pay, what happens to the 5000 that can't or won't? Is the cost of dealing with the 5000 worth the revenue from the 3000? A private business could turn a blind eye to them, but don't think the City/government can do the same.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

To those who paid, thank you for finally fianncially contributing to paying for the service that you do use.

I would be very interested to know the number of people who ride the train but do not pay. I know a fair amount of people that use the train every day but haven't bought a ticket in months. In my opinion enforcement of that would be more advantageous to transit. Moochers are making transit worse, because they are using the service (taking up space) but not adding to the cost of it.