Parking in Waterloo Region

[BuildingScout]

Spokes is right that the right price needs to be found for parking, especially if it's over-subscribed at its current price ("free"). There are some people who won't tolerate any parking charge because they think it's their right to have other people subsidize their transportation choices. Most people will tolerate some level of charge, beyond which they will change their behaviour somehow. It needs to be understood how they might change their behaviour- it's not true that everyone will do the same thing. But, if the garage is full now, the price needs to go up.

This is faulty logic. For example the iXpress is often full during rush hour time. Does that mean price must go up? of course not. It means more buses need to be added to the route. The parking lots in Conestoga Mall are sometimes full the day before Christmas. Does that mean Conestoga Mall needs to start charging for parking? No, since the goal of the mall is to maximize the number of people who go to the mall.

The Kitchener market is no different. Their main metric is to maximize the number of shoppers there. If the garage is full they can do two things: (1) nothing as it is today and let the overflow people deal with it or (2) build more parking.

I go to the market every so often and I find (1) quite reasonable. About half the time I get free parking in the building, the rest I pay at any of the paid parking lots nearby or park on the street.