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+--- Thread: Parking in Waterloo Region (/showthread.php?tid=187)
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - BuildingScout - 12-03-2014
Free market economy. Just don't park there, particularly with the Charles St Garage located just a block down as is the Duke St. garage.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - MidTowner - 12-03-2014
It seems like a boycott of sorts is what they are hoping for. They are obviously not terribly interested in short-term parkers. This is like a contractor who does not particularly want a job, and gives you an outrageously inflated quote to get you to go away. If you agree, bonus.
I'm miffed at the 'Pricey parking around the world' table at the bottom of the article. They are comparing an extreme outlier in this city (so extreme it warrants a newspaper article), to the median rates in other cities. At least they do include our own average at the bottom, but I'm not sure how that is a valid comparison.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 12-03-2014
CTV Kitchener has picked up on this and has run a video on it.
@ Midtowner - I don't think they're comparing all of Kitchener with other cities, they're just showing what this lot is like compared to the average prices of other cities.
I can't believe anyone would pay $84 a day to park there. For many people that's getting close to a day's earnings.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Smore - 12-03-2014
LOL, it's 53 bucks to valet at Royal York in TO...
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - mpd618 - 12-03-2014
(12-03-2014, 10:55 PM)Canard Wrote: I can't believe anyone would pay $84 a day to park there. For many people that's getting close to a day's earnings.
Nobody would, which is the point. They sold too much monthly parking and want fewer short-term parking taking up spots.
The media is successfully riling people up over something that is essentially of no consequence.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 12-04-2014
Ahhh, thanks for the clarification. Perhaps it was done to close up a loop hole, maybe they had to by law offer some spaces for a fee... but wanted to use it just for monthly passes. So jack the regular rate to still be in compliance but discourage use. How did you find out this fact, out of curiosity?
Yes it is very frustrating when the media doesn't get all their facts right. But it makes for more interesting news if you can rattle a few chains!
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - mpd618 - 12-05-2014
(12-04-2014, 01:29 PM)Canard Wrote: Ahhh, thanks for the clarification. Perhaps it was done to close up a loop hole, maybe they had to by law offer some spaces for a fee... but wanted to use it just for monthly passes. So jack the regular rate to still be in compliance but discourage use. How did you find out this fact, out of curiosity?]
It's suggested in the Record's piece. And a commenter in this CTV Kitchener Facebook thread says: "I work in this building. They're trying to phase out visitor parking because they're sold out of parking for employees."
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - panamaniac - 01-09-2015
The City has done away with free weekday parking at the Kitchener Market garage. The food court vendors can apparently validate for one hour of parking.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - mpd618 - 01-09-2015
(01-09-2015, 06:47 PM)panamaniac Wrote: The City has done away with free weekday parking at the Kitchener Market garage. The food court vendors can apparently validate for one hour of parking.
Ugh, why not get rid of it on the one day it would really make a difference? On Saturdays the free parking means that traffic around the market is a nightmare and you have to spend an inordinate amount of time getting to and from that free market parking.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - BuildingScout - 01-10-2015
(01-09-2015, 11:05 PM)mpd618 Wrote: Ugh, why not get rid of it on the one day it would really make a difference? On Saturdays the free parking means that traffic around the market is a nightmare and you have to spend an inordinate amount of time getting to and from that free market parking.
Back when the market reopened in its new location they used to charge for parking and no one came. Even today the parking lot is only sometimes full. In my opinion charging for parking even now would be a mistake.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - EdM - 01-11-2015
(01-10-2015, 08:59 AM)BuildingScout Wrote: Back when the market reopened in its new location they used to charge for parking and no one came. Even today the parking lot is only sometimes full. In my opinion charging for parking even now would be a mistake.
We're at the market almost every Saturday (but usually walk). We drive on occasion, primarily when the weather is poor, and the garage has always been full or nearly so. About half of the time we can't get in and end up on a side street. Perhaps poor weather generally brings out more drivers?
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Spokes - 01-13-2015
Traffic is certainly a nightmare. I'd be looking at charging a nominal amount on weekends. Find out what the threshold is for what people are willing to pay.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - BuildingScout - 01-13-2015
(01-13-2015, 07:59 AM)Spokes Wrote: Traffic is certainly a nightmare. I'd be looking at charging a nominal amount on weekends. Find out what the threshold is for what people are willing to pay.
This would only work under the assumption that there are people driving to the market that otherwise would be walking or taking the bus there. I do not believe there are such people. Some people might simply not go to the market altogether, which would reduce traffic but damage the viability of the market. So this is cutting your nose to spite your face.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - Viewfromthe42 - 01-13-2015
Sadly, there are folks who would balk at paying $2-3 to park, and instead choose to spend $20-30 more on the same produce/items from grocers, sending the money out of city/province/country rather than keeping it in the region. Crazy, but cognitive dissonance is trendy these days.
RE: Parking in Waterloo Region - MidTowner - 01-13-2015
(01-13-2015, 08:38 AM)BuildingScout Wrote: [quote pid='4030' dateline='1421150353']
This would only work under the assumption that there are people driving to the market that otherwise would be walking or taking the bus there. I do not believe there are such people. Some people might simply not go to the market altogether, which would reduce traffic but damage the viability of the market. So this is cutting your nose to spite your face.
[/quote]
There are at least some people who would be dissuaded from driving to the market because of a parking fee of x dollars, and would choose to use a different mode of transportation to get there. You're right that there are other people who (as Viewfromthe42 suggests) would go elsewhere to avoid the parking charge, even if that's not a rational economic decision because other costs are higher.
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.