So who paid Transit parking fee's?

[Russic]

Regarding the backing in of stalls, there's no rule to stop you from doing it and if you do it just because that's how you prefer to park, then I say go for it. However, if you're backing in for no other reason than a juvenile protest that only serves to piss somebody off who has zero control over the situation then I think you're an ass.

[JustAnotherGuy]

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.

It is beyond a joke. I am so mad about it that I just don't care anymore. When it was first started I was excited and thought right on. Now because of all the delays I just don't care. The area has been under construction for so long that it is pathetic.

So since about September 2008. The completion date has been delayed three times for a total of 6 months.

[ken0042]

I like the idea of the backing into the stalls. To me the whole parking program was brought in "wrong." I think they are targeting everybody as opposed to going after those who should pay; and went for the easiest plan they could implement instead of finding the right solution. By parking backwards it messes with the Park Plus system, and may force the city to re-think the plan.

[0reo]

Stampede parking during Flames games are going to get 10x worse.

[Robbob]

I park at southland so I don't have to worry about the parking yet. The question I do have for those that have started to pay, is it just pay parking 6am-6pm type thing or all day. I can't imagine them charging for parking in an empty lot after 6pm.

Sadly once the fees kick in I'm going to driving down town because it is cheaper for me and my wife. She gets a stall at no charge and the extra $60 a month was enough (as well as the constant raising of the monthly passes) for us to decide to not take public transit. It was nice trying not to leave a bigger carbon foot print well it lasted.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by 0reo

Stampede parking during Flames games are going to get 10x worse.

Yep, CT just priced themselves out of a bloated market.

It is now cheaper for two people to drive to the Hockey Game than to take the LRT.

($2.50 each way = $5x 2people +$3 parking= $13 v. $12 parking at Stampede Park)

Its even more of a rip-off if there's more people. Calgary Transit is a one-trick pony at best, and rather than encourage people to take clean, reliable transit... they are encouraging people to try and screw them, or to employ alternate means.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Robbob

I park at southland so I don't have to worry about the parking yet. The question I do have for those that have started to pay, is it just pay parking 6am-6pm type thing or all day. I can't imagine them charging for parking in an empty lot after 6pm.

As it stands now you will have to pay for evening parking too. There was a spot on Global about it last night, and at least one alderman would like to see it free after a certain time to encourage park& ride for things like Flames games.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I like the idea of the backing into the stalls. To me the whole parking program was brought in "wrong." I think they are targeting everybody as opposed to going after those who should pay; and went for the easiest plan they could implement instead of finding the right solution. By parking backwards it messes with the Park Plus system, and may force the city to re-think the plan.

How does it mess with the Park Plus system? The guy gets out of the van and walks around to the back of the car. Why would the city re-think the plan just because a guy has to get out of the car every couple minutes?

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by ken0042

As it stands now you will have to pay for evening parking too. There was a spot on Global about it last night, and at least one alderman would like to see it free after a certain time to encourage park& ride for things like Flames games.

Aren't all traffic zones around downtown pretty much free at 6pm. The only places I can think of where you have to pay after 6 are the private lots.

I really don't think the city has thought this through if they continue the current course.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by ken0042

As it stands now you will have to pay for evening parking too. There was a spot on Global about it last night, and at least one alderman would like to see it free after a certain time to encourage park& ride for things like Flames games.

Makes sense. If they make parking in a City of Calgary space downtown free after 6 why wouldn't it be free at a train station?

[0reo]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Yep, CT just priced themselves out of a bloated market.

It is now cheaper for two people to drive to the Hockey Game than to take the LRT.

($2.50 each way = $5x 2people +$3 parking= $13 v. $12 parking at Stampede Park)

Its even more of a rip-off if there's more people. Calgary Transit is a one-trick pony at best, and rather than encourage people to take clean, reliable transit... they are encouraging people to try and screw them, or to employ alternate means.

And for people like me who need to take the NE leg it's just more convienent to take the car instead of transfering downtown. Two big thumbs down to the city

They say the fee's are necessary in order to maintain costs needed to run the LRT, instead of increasing taxes. Normally I hate the thought of increased taxes but that might not be a bad idea for this issue.

It may even enourage people to take the train to work, especially with the thought of, "I'm paying for it anyways, might as well use it."

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Russic

How does it mess with the Park Plus system? The guy gets out of the van and walks around to the back of the car. Why would the city re-think the plan just because a guy has to get out of the car every couple minutes?

1 person, no it wouldn't make a difference. But in a lot of 1000 cars; if 20% of them are backwards that is a lot more paperwork and legwork. Meaning "Robovan" isn't making other patrols, or they need to just do foot patrols again; which means a portable way for the officer to check if somebody has paid.

The automated system works by a computer being able to read a license plate. Take that away, and you have a glitch in the system.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

Yep, CT just priced themselves out of a bloated market.

It is now cheaper for two people to drive to the Hockey Game than to take the LRT.

($2.50 each way = $5x 2people +$3 parking= $13 v. $12 parking at Stampede Park)

Its even more of a rip-off if there's more people. Calgary Transit is a one-trick pony at best, and rather than encourage people to take clean, reliable transit... they are encouraging people to try and screw them, or to employ alternate means.

While I agree on the math, I normally take transit to the game so I don't end up stuck in traffic trying to leave the Saddledome (especially if there will be more people parking at the Dome, as you predict). Thus, it's more of a convenience thing versus a savings thing. Plus, when you consider the cost of tickets, food/beer, etc., an extra $3 seems like a drop in the hat.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by Robbob

I really don't think the city has thought this through .

Now there's an understatement.

[mersar]

Originally Posted by Russic

How does it mess with the Park Plus system? The guy gets out of the van and walks around to the back of the car. Why would the city re-think the plan just because a guy has to get out of the car every couple minutes?

Not to mention its likely already against the rules. Theres been signs for years at Brentwood stating to not back into the stalls, and I think also at Whitehorn (I rarely park there so I may be wrong on that one). If it is, I'd love to see the expression on the faces of anyone who pays, then does try that just to protest the system and still ends up with a fine of some sort.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Burninator

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.

Fare Evasion History 1999-2008
Year Evasion Rate in %
2008 1.9
2007 2.2
2006 1.5
2005 1.5
2004 1.5
2003 1.7
2002 1.4
2001 2.0
2000 2.0
1999 1.1
1998 1.2

http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/statistics.html

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Fare Evasion History 1999-2008
Year Evasion Rate in %
2008 1.9
2007 2.2
2006 1.5
2005 1.5
2004 1.5
2003 1.7
2002 1.4
2001 2.0
2000 2.0
1999 1.1
1998 1.2

http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/statistics.html

LOL, that is published by calgary transit though, so the only people on that list are ones who got caught...

I worked downtown for a year and half and only paid for transit when I was riding outside of rushhour (if I went for beers or something after work). I didn't get a single ticket.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by 0reo

And for people like me who need to take the NE leg it's just more convienent to take the car instead of transfering downtown. Two big thumbs down to the city

They say the fee's are necessary in order to maintain costs needed to run the LRT, instead of increasing taxes. Normally I hate the thought of increased taxes but that might not be a bad idea for this issue.

It may even enourage people to take the train to work, especially with the thought of, "I'm paying for it anyways, might as well use it."

That line is such BS. I can't believe no one has viciously called them on it.

The problem is, Calgary Transit revenue goes into the blackhole also known as "general revenue," where designer pedestrian bridges, social engineering plans, and other socialist frutopia schemes swallow up countless millions.

There's no way (using their cost numbers of roughly $50-55m per year cost) that they don't make money. Figure 250,000 people a day ride as they say, and lets say only 125k per day actually pay an average of $3 per day... that's $2.63m per week or $136m per year.

We all also know that every expansion project is largely funded by the province and/or even the federal government. So its not like this money has to be used exclusively to pay for every improvement CT builds.

If Farmer Ed wasn't such a moron, he would have put an abrupt stop to much of City Hall's foolishness. Unfortunately, he's too busy ruining investor confidence in Alberta so that there isn't money for new projects.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Boblobla

LOL, that is published by calgary transit though, so the only people on that list are ones who got caught...

I worked downtown for a year and half and only paid for transit when I was riding outside of rushhour (if I went for beers or something after work). I didn't get a single ticket.[/quote]
My thoughts as well. Since the transit police don't check for tickets during the busiest times of the day they are missing a lot of people stealing rides. I bet the actual number of people not paying is much higher than 2%.

I think the city should introduce a toll style gate system at the train stations. Or a system that isn't so reliant on the honour system.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by ken0042

1 person, no it wouldn't make a difference. But in a lot of 1000 cars; if 20% of them are backwards that is a lot more paperwork and legwork. Meaning "Robovan" isn't making other patrols, or they need to just do foot patrols again; which means a portable way for the officer to check if somebody has paid.

The automated system works by a computer being able to read a license plate. Take that away, and you have a glitch in the system.

I see your point, but there's no way 20% of all cars would ever do this. Hell, I'd be impressed if 5% of drivers could safely back into a stall without knocking off mirrors.

I realize we're all outraged because this is new and we're on the internet, but it's $3. Yes over time that will add up, but in a few weeks nobody will be talking about this and it will just be put out of peoples minds.

The city raised prices to park downtown not too long ago as well and people flipped out and pledged that they'd find alternate ways of doing things as people tend to do. Every time transit tickets rise in cost people run to the web polls and vote with fury that they are done with Calgary Transit, yet the numbers of riders don't seem to change.

My overall point to this is that I think everybody who is fuming over this issue is falsely assuming that everybody else is on board with them. This is just a case where a small section of the population is being significantly louder than the rest in my opinion.