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+--- Thread: Parking in Waterloo Region (/showthread.php?tid=187)
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 04-01-2018
That's good. I had no idea. I didn't pay when I went a few months ago. I'm fairly certain it wasn't in error--the gates were up. Maybe it's a new thing.
The only issue is it will increase the pressure on the small amount of nearby free parking. There is of course an easy solution to that too.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 04-01-2018
(04-01-2018, 08:24 PM)Canard Wrote: Wait, so...
they charge for parking under the market?
...so what's the issue?
Too many people trying to park in a limited space. So they intend to encourage people (both vendors and customers) to park in either Market Square or Charles & Benton garage.
While this is just parking, I am happy to see the popularity of the Saturday market.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Pheidippides - 04-01-2018
Sometimes it feels like an Abbott and Costello routine around here.
There is no charge to park at the market on Saturday mornings between 7am and 2pm:
"Free on Saturdays from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m., Free Sundays, Monday - Friday $3.20 for the first two hours, $1.65 for each additional 1/2 hour to a daily maximum of $14.50."
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 04-02-2018
So ... it seems that the City of Kitchener (which owns the parking garage) and the Kitchener Market (which runs the market) don't agree on whether Saturdays are free or not.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - plam - 04-02-2018
(04-02-2018, 09:54 AM)tomh009 Wrote: So ... it seems that the City of Kitchener (which owns the parking garage) and the Kitchener Market (which runs the market) don't agree on whether Saturdays are free or not.
Yeah. I think it requires on-the-ground investigation on a Saturday. It's hard to keep different parts of the same org in synch.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Pheidippides - 04-02-2018
Having driven to the underground parking at the market twice in the last 30 days with mobility challenged visitors my personal experience is that there is no fee.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 04-30-2018
https://www.therecord.com/news-story/8576953-kitchener-market-wrestles-with-ongoing-parking-headaches/
:: fetches popcorn ::
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 04-30-2018
Sigh.
Quote:Cheaper parking at Charles and Benton will only partly address the problem, since many shoppers and vendors won't walk that far.
Maybe true, but it's a sad reflection on our society that most people are not willing to walk three blocks. (And this is not referring to elderly or disabled people.)
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - bgb_ca - 04-30-2018
Yes it is. I actually walked from uptown Waterloo to there last weekend (And that is a lot more than 3 blocks).
I am sure that some of these people that are complaining about walking 2 blocks would not even get out of their car if they could drive it right into the building up to the vendor kiosk if they could.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - jamincan - 04-30-2018
You have to wonder what solutions exist, because people are going to continue to behave the same way until we develop some sort of system to change the behaviour. Perhaps parking facilities could update their capacity in real-time so that people would no in advance that a particular garage is full and go to a further one with available parking first. That sort of data could then potentially be incorporated into mapping software so that you would be directed to the nearest available parking instead of the actual location.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 04-30-2018
(04-30-2018, 01:40 PM)jamincan Wrote: You have to wonder what solutions exist, because people are going to continue to behave the same way until we develop some sort of system to change the behaviour. Perhaps parking facilities could update their capacity in real-time so that people would no in advance that a particular garage is full and go to a further one with available parking first. That sort of data could then potentially be incorporated into mapping software so that you would be directed to the nearest available parking instead of the actual location.
This kind of technology is in wide use in cities all over Europe. And has been for years.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 04-30-2018
(04-30-2018, 01:40 PM)jamincan Wrote: You have to wonder what solutions exist, because people are going to continue to behave the same way until we develop some sort of system to change the behaviour. Perhaps parking facilities could update their capacity in real-time so that people would no in advance that a particular garage is full and go to a further one with available parking first. That sort of data could then potentially be incorporated into mapping software so that you would be directed to the nearest available parking instead of the actual location.
The solution is simply pricing. If the market parking lot was priced at market (ha) prices, then it would have space, and wealthy people (or people who prioritize less walking more than others) could park closer, poorer people (or people willing to walk more) would park farther away (or walk/bike/bus). Unfair? Yes. But this is the capitalist system we live in.
To be honest though, the strange thing about the market is people fight over spaces right next to it, but reuse to walk 2-3 blocks which is around the same distance you would end up walking to get to a store in Conestoga Mall. Yet these same people say: "I go to the mall instead because I refuse to walk that far or pay for the privilege of parking closer".
I just don't get it.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - tomh009 - 04-30-2018
(04-30-2018, 01:53 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: To be honest though, the strange thing about the market is people fight over spaces right next to it, but reuse to walk 2-3 blocks which is around the same distance you would end up walking to get to a store in Conestoga Mall. Yet these same people say: "I go to the mall instead because I refuse to walk that far or pay for the privilege of parking closer".
Quite true. And the same is true of the Waterloo/St Jacobs market -- it's easily a one-two-block hike from your parking space unless you get there early.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 04-30-2018
Ironic given several people said they go to St Jacobs instead because parking.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - panamaniac - 04-30-2018
Not that it would solve the "problem", but how is it possible that they haven't yet obliged Market vendors and employees to park elsewhere? Seems like a no-brainer.