"Increasing parking rates is one of the tools to increase parking stall availability rates" states parking services manager Miles Jarvin. I suspect he's right.
Why would I pay $2.00 to park at a meter when it hits -40 when I can park underground in the Midtown Plaza and pay the same $2.00. And if I am delayed getting back to my car at a city meter I will likely get a $10.00 parking ticket. If I am delayed getting back to my warm car at the Midtown Plaza parkingI pay an additional $1.00 per half hour. Better yet, if I avoid downtown I can go to a mall and pay nothing.
Definitely the bus increases seem to be a better deal. But if we all ride the bus downtown and avoid the parking meters how will transit make the shortfall? Not so long ago transit said by investing money in new depots (U of S, Market Mall etc.), offering the Upass for students and developing express lanes would increase ridership and make public transit viable - the economy of scale. What happened?
Riding a bike downtown, particularly in winter as snow clearing isn't a strong suit for the city, is a venture only for the brave at heart.
Lastly, quit comparing Saskatoon to the mega cities of a million plus population. Why can Regina offer parking at a $1.00/hr?
Parking meters are not the only depositories for loonies. . . city hall has a fair collection.
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Riding a bike downtown in the summer is quite often a venture for the brave at heart!
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the higher parking rates will deter people from parking downtown.
Though if we truly want to be proactive on providing more parking lets build (or encourage someone to build) a multi-level structure on the current above-ground Mid-town site (as long as it is asthetically pleasing on the outside). Regina has this and it seems to work well there.
It wasnt long ago the city was scrambling to find innovative ways to entice people to go downtown. Now we increase parking fees to the point where it makes it a less then attractive option to do so??
ReplyDeleteI too am so tired of the camparison to large urban centers...we arent Calgary and Van!!
Comparisons to both to justify this nonsense assumes we are all stupid enough to buy this justification!
Do our civic leaders not understand we are in a recession??
ReplyDeleteTodays Star Phoenix article on the Conference board of Canada's report for Canada's slumping profits of 20% in six industries this year makes this decision even more ludicrous: Retail trade profits forecasted to be down 32%, Food service (full service restaraunts) earnings to decline 32%, and accomodation to fall another 8% after a 25% drop in 2008 ...you follow the trend Im sure.
So what genius determined a parking fee increase was a wise move at this time? Or perhaps the reasoning is that with fewer shoppers,diners and tourists downtown they need to make up the shortfall on the backs of the remaining few!
Guess that is what you get when only 28% of voters go to the polls...bet more then 28% will be complaining now!
$2.00 per hour, If I was the developer of one of the big box developments or suburban malls I would be licking my chops. If I was a downtown business owner I would be mad as hell. The mayor says he wants to increase the number of residents living downtown. I would not be able to visit them at these rates. Great way to kill downtown.
ReplyDeleteThis is what happens when such a small percentage of people get themselves informed and vote. You end up with autocracy from a 15% Mayor.
ReplyDeleteI personally rarely shop downtown or visit downtown because parking is a joke. If I find somewhere to park - I pay a ridiculous amount - and usually wind up with a parking ticket. Where is the downtown business association - and why aren't they protesting. Keep pushing people to the malls in the Burbs!
ReplyDeletethe downtown business association is too busy trying to criminalize poverty to concern themselves with parking.
ReplyDelete