So who paid Transit parking fee's?

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by pepper24

During the weekdays demand far exceeds supply. Also, it's still cheaper to park and ride then park downtown in most cases.

During the weekends and evenings, the parking lots in most cases are half empty. Also, parking downtown is only $2 so it's technically cheaper to drive and park downtown not factoring in gas etc.

Is it fair? Not sure about that but it's smart on the city as supply and demand will justify it. It's just like how downtown can charge up to $40 per day during the weekdays but only $2 for the same spots in the evenings and weekends.

I understand the capitalistic approach to this, but the city say's this money is for extra security and maintenance upkeep of each lot. Do they not need better security in the evenings and on weekends? Are weekend and evening travellers not contributing to the decay said maintenance will need to address? I'll pay when everyone has to pay!

[flip]

It was rather busy today at the 2hr parking near the University. I wonder if people are being turned off CT parking lots.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

I understand the capitalistic approach to this, but the city say's this money is for extra security and maintenance upkeep of each lot. Do they not need better security in the evenings and on weekends? Are weekend and evening travellers not contributing to the decay said maintenance will need to address? I'll pay when everyone has to pay!

As of now, everyone has to pay at 3 stations with the remainder being phased in over the next few weeks including evenings and weekends. On Apr 6 they vote eliminate weekends and evenings.

[pepper24]

Originally Posted by flip

It was rather busy today at the 2hr parking near the University. I wonder if people are being turned off CT parking lots.

Foks are just avoiding Dalhousie, Somerset-Bridlewood and McKnight-Westwinds and using other stations until all other stations implement the fee.

The wonders of what people will do to save a buck! Calgary loves their cars too much so once every station is implemented we'll be back to full parking lots.

[truth14]

I'm in a bind. What's a the zone number for the Somerset station????? I put in a 3 digit terminal number and that didn't work....Help!

[Dan02]

call 311 and ask them.

[truth14]

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

Found it.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by CFENT

I think you got it backwards. Why should people who drive have to subsidize people who take the bus. As was stated earlier, it is much more expensive to fuel and maintain all busses then to maintain a parking lot.

Adding extra lanes to freeways and building overpasses is FAR more expensive than maintaining and fuelling busses. Common people, the economics of this aren't that hard to grasp.

Showing up at Dalhousie at 8am and getting a spot this morning was great. Thank you cheap asses who feel $3 is worth hunting for spots in neighborhoods!

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Let's look at things the ludicrous things the city aldermen have been trying play social engineer on:

• banning plastic water bottles (wtf?)
• banning drive-thru's?
• demonizing driving a car to take transit (c-train parking)
• banning plastic bags

You forgot Banning Asian Malls!

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Adding extra lanes to freeways and building overpasses is FAR more expensive than maintaining and fuelling busses. Common people, the economics of this aren't that hard to grasp.

Showing up at Dalhousie at 8am and getting a spot this morning was great. Thank you cheap asses who feel $3 is worth hunting for spots in neighborhoods!

Will you pay if they charge $5, $10, $20??

It's easy to brush off the $3 bucks a day if you are a dink cube dweller type with a pinky ring and matching pocket protector. For a lot of people an extra $600-700 a year adds up.

I'm pretty sure they don't have to build extra freeways to lead into Dalhousie and Somerset. The reality is that you'll have to spend more on roads if you've got more people driving because the city creates a disincentive to take the train.

If anything they should charge for the lots close to the core and charge more for taking the train at the stops furthest from the core.

How come people who are in favor of this haven't commented on my suggestion of putting toll booths at Prince's Island Park???

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Will you pay if they charge $5, $10, $20??

If they charge $20 the math is pretty easy to know it's now about the same price to park downtown. You have to take into account the gas savings, and also the fact you could... I don't know... take a feeder bus which is the entire purpose of these charges. They are hoping one day they can redevelop the lots into something more useful like TODs.

The beauty of Calgary is they can charge $20 and people will have to pay it as downtown parking is nearly full every day anyway.

It's easy to brush off the $3 bucks a day if you are a dink cube dweller type with a pinky ring and matching pocket protector. For a lot of people an extra $600-700 a year adds up.

If you can't afford the $600-$700 a year, take the bus and face a few more minutes on your commute.

I'm pretty sure they don't have to build extra freeways to lead into Dalhousie and Somerset. The reality is that you'll have to spend more on roads if you've got more people driving because the city creates a disincentive to take the train.

An average freeway lane can carry 1500-2000 cars per hour. The Northwest leg of the LRT has ~2800 parking spots. The South leg has ~5100 stalls.

For the Northwest a majority of those cars are traveling on Crowchild trail, so that is easily over a thousand cars per day on Crowchild that wouldn't be there if people took feeder buses to the LRT.

People won't be driving downtown for financial reasons because of the $3 parking. I used to park downtown every day, and good freaking luck finding monthly parking for anything near the price of transit fares plus $3 a day parking.

If anything they should charge for the lots close to the core and charge more for taking the train at the stops furthest from the core.

I think it would make sense for parking to cost more at the stations closer to downtown. The land is more valuable, and usually the bus services are better in these areas. Charging more for longer trips makes sense too, but would complicate the system a bit and require new equipment/ticketing systems. I'm sure it will happen one day though.

How come people who are in favor of this haven't commented on my suggestion of putting toll booths at Prince's Island Park???

If you can't see how that idea is absurd on your own I can't help you.

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Adding extra lanes to freeways and building overpasses is FAR more expensive than maintaining and fuelling busses. Common people, the economics of this aren't that hard to grasp.

Showing up at Dalhousie at 8am and getting a spot this morning was great. Thank you cheap asses who feel $3 is worth hunting for spots in neighborhoods!

I dont think people are parking in neighbourhoods yet, they are just driving to the next stop with free parking. When all lots go with the pay system then you will see some neighbourhood congestion. Seriously why pay $15 a week if you dont have to, times are tough save your dough.

[Russic]

I have to agree with Hulkrogan here. You have to do the math and make some decisions.

If you're upset with this new fee you are free to try and brave it and park downtown. If money or your sanity is an issue then I suspect that option won't last long.

You can try and rattle the system and park on a sidestreet, but you know that the city is licking their lips with the thoughts of all the ticket revenue that's going to generate.

Finally, you can take a feeder bus. That will boil down to what your time is worth. Is it worth getting up 15-20 minutes early to save $3 a day?

I stand by my opinion that compared to other parking in the city $3/day is nothing and while it's annoying, I don't think it's impactful enough to change a great deal of behaviours. If you want or need to save your $3 a day then I'm sure there are 3 or 4 people behind you waiting for a parking space that are willing to pay.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Russic

If you're upset with this new fee you are free to try and brave it and park downtown. If money or your sanity is an issue then I suspect that option won't last long.

You can try and rattle the system and park on a sidestreet, but you know that the city is licking their lips with the thoughts of all the ticket revenue that's going to generate.

Finally, you can take a feeder bus. That will boil down to what your time is worth. Is it worth getting up 15-20 minutes early to save $3 a day?

Option 4, drive to the final stop on your bus route before it gets to the train station, park there, hop on the bus.

I know where i used to live, that would save me 15 minutes because we were the very last stop on every bus route that went by, further more the first stop had multiple routes going by it so you never would have to wait more then a couple minutes to hop on a bus.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Russic

Finally, you can take a feeder bus. That will boil down to what your time is worth. Is it worth getting up 15-20 minutes early to save $3 a day?

I think part of the problem is that might not be practical for everybody. I know there are a number of parents here on CP- how many parents take their kids to daycare, then drive to the train station in the morning; and repeat the process in the evening?

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Russic

I have to agree with Hulkrogan here. You have to do the math and make some decisions.

If you're upset with this new fee you are free to try and brave it and park downtown. If money or your sanity is an issue then I suspect that option won't last long.

You can try and rattle the system and park on a sidestreet, but you know that the city is licking their lips with the thoughts of all the ticket revenue that's going to generate.

Finally, you can take a feeder bus. That will boil down to what your time is worth. Is it worth getting up 15-20 minutes early to save $3 a day?

I stand by my opinion that compared to other parking in the city $3/day is nothing and while it's annoying, I don't think it's impactful enough to change a great deal of behaviours. If you want or need to save your $3 a day then I'm sure there are 3 or 4 people behind you waiting for a parking space that are willing to pay.

If every commuter's life boiled down to 8-5. Some of us have project work and find ourselves downtown well past rush hour feeder bus service. While it might only be a 15-20 minute increase in the morning, if you're downtown until 8 PM or later for some areas it's seriously a 45 minute - an hour extra time waiting at a train station at night. So no, I won't take a damn feeder bus, until they improve that service with real buses (Not those tiny community shuttles that get packed sometmes) working legitimate schedules (no longer than 15 minutes in between buses). No way I'm waiting another 45 minutes with the hoodlums that hang out at Dalhousie station after dark waiting for a feeder bus.

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I think part of the problem is that might not be practical for everybody. I know there are a number of parents here on CP- how many parents take their kids to daycare, then drive to the train station in the morning; and repeat the process in the evening?

that's my problem with taking feeder buses. Just going to have to pay the fee eventually, they got me hook,line and sinker!

[tvp2003]

Just curious -- anything new to report after week #1? Was usage pretty much the same all week as it was on Monday? Have they started issuing tickets yet?

[Arsenal14]

Well, McMahon hasn't seemed much busier than normal. Maybe a few extra cars, but not enough to matter at the time I get there (just before 8:30). They have now posted signs warning that the parking fees will start April 13 at McMahon and that it's the U of C payment systems (with monthly permits available) instead of the PayPlus system used at the other lots.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Arsenal14

Well, McMahon hasn't seemed much busier than normal. Maybe a few extra cars, but not enough to matter at the time I get there (just before 8:30). They have now posted signs warning that the parking fees will start April 13 at McMahon and that it's the U of C payment systems (with monthly permits available) instead of the PayPlus system used at the other lots.

So will it still be $3?