Parking in Waterloo Region

[MidTowner]

I wish the Kitchener would make the minimum parking rates equal to the minimum GRT cash fare (and go up from there for premium spots) and then keep them in step with GRT increases.

$1.05 for 2.5hrs @ Civic Garage = $0.007 / minute = $0.42 / hr
$3.20 for 2.0hrs @ Kitchener City Hall/Duke Garage/Benton Garage/Kitchener Market = $0.0267 / minute = $1.60 / hr
$3.25 for 1.5hrs on GRT = $0.0361 / minute = $2.17 / hr

Setting the minimum parking fee at City-owned lots equal to the GRT fare would definitely be the thing to do if the municipal government were serious about promoting transit.

At $0.42 per hour (downtown!), and parking being one of the few variable costs, and the most visible variable cost, transit just can't compete with driving. I bet if you set the "First 30 minutes" charge at downtown City-owned parking at $3.25, there would be a big uptick in transit use heading downtown. This would be good for all sorts of reasons, not least that we would not have to spend huge sums of public money in the future on new parking facilities.

Of course, it's politically probably impossible right now, as good an idea as it is.