2 hour parking meters are a scam

[googe]

Anyone else get screwed by these? Seems like the city enforces a 2 hour limit on payment (only on payment, youre allowed to stay there all day if you want, you just cant pay for more than 2 hours at a time) just because they know that if you park at them every day for work, which a lot of people do, from time to time you wont be able to make it out every 2 hours to refill it. Is there any other point in not allowing someone to pay for 6 hours if they want to? :bullshit:

[benyl]

Parking on the streets is short term. You want long term, go to a lot.

There isn't enough parking as it is without fuckers parking there alllllll day.

Some people just suck it up and get a $20 ticket every day cause it is cheaper than paying $24 in some parkades.

[shakalaka]

Those are for more like temporary parking provisions. If you need to go to work, then you are better off finding a permamnent parking solution.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by benyl
Parking on the streets is short term. You want long term, go to a lot.

There isn't enough parking as it is without fuckers parking there alllllll day.

Some people just suck it up and get a $20 ticket every day cause it is cheaper than paying $24 in some parkades.

It's $40 now. So go find a parkade.

And meters are short term, dude. You're not suppose to park all day.

[googe]

Well, the area in question has no lots nearby really. There is 1 very narrow impark lot that is always full even at 9am. Besides that, the area is all offices anyway.

And if that were the reason, why doesnt the meter maid tow vehicles that people keep refilling? I can park there all day every day and he will walk past my (and others) cars once every hour or so, and the only reason he is out there is to hit the meters as soon as they expire.

So, the people that are against people leaving their cars at meters all day lose because they intentionally let them leave them there, and the people that work there and need to park lose because they arent allowed to pay for long enough. In the end, the only winner is the city.

They should either let you pay all day, or at least make a lame effort to enforce the time limit. I can name several spots that have the same car at the meter all day every day for the past 2 years. Obviously the meter maid is well aware they overstay their welcome.

[khtm]

Cash grab. That, and the city doesn't believe in having a viable downtown parking solution. They'd rather have everyone struggling to use public transit, which is a joke at best.

Come on Calgary, stop pretending you're a small city and start addressing these obvious problems.

[rc2002]

Originally posted by benyl
Some people just suck it up and get a $20 ticket every day cause it is cheaper than paying $24 in some parkades.

Heh, the rates are gone up more than that. It's $30/day in the parkade I park in. Getting a ticket for parking $40/day for a spot right outside your building would be almost worth it.

[SilverBoost]

Where are they $40/ticket? I just got one downtown and it's still $20.


I park all day at a meter, because I leave frequently which means I don't need the hassle of comgni and going from a parkade only to not have a spot there when I get back anyway.

The parking sit. in calgary sucks downtown and I don't see it improving.

[benyl]

haha, back when they used to have those twist knobs on the meter, there was a sweet spot where you could jiggle it and it would add time without taking the coin.

I used to park for $0.25/day.

Latest I heard was that they are going to give out $40 tickets and they will ticket you again and again until your car is moved.

I thought I also heard something about a $500 ticket and tow so people don't park all day.

[Altezza]

What are the monthly parking pass waiting lists like for downtown core parkades?

[GTS Jeff]

The city lot on 4th St/7th Ave SE is $8/day and is right next to the Ctrain stop, so you can jump on the Ctrain and go wherever right away.

[Unknown303]

saw a report on tv where they are trying to increase the fine for repeat offenders to over 200 dollars. Think that would scare some people into using lots downtown. I think its a good idea too. I hate coming downtown and trying to find somewhere to park for ten minutes and wind up heading to a lot because its easier that way.

[googe]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
The city lot on 4th St/7th Ave SE is $8/day and is right next to the Ctrain stop, so you can jump on the Ctrain and go wherever right away.

The train doesnt go a lot of places, otherwise that would be a decent option.

[Aleks]

i see people parking all day half way between meters. Every day. I see the meter guy walking by and he doesn't ticket those guys. if you have a small enough car you can park on the street all day this way.

[snade831]

Originally posted by richardchan2002


Heh, the rates are gone up more than that. It's $30/day in the parkade I park in. Getting a ticket for parking $40/day for a spot right outside your building would be almost worth it.

:eek: $30/day! that's insane

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by googe


The train doesnt go a lot of places, otherwise that would be a decent option. Doth thou worketh in thy cottage near Airdrie?

[sputnik]

Originally posted by khtm
Cash grab. That, and the city doesn't believe in having a viable downtown parking solution. They'd rather have everyone struggling to use public transit, which is a joke at best.

Come on Calgary, stop pretending you're a small city and start addressing these obvious problems.

Why does everyone say that its a "cash grab".

It is simply a price that the market will bear. If it was such a rip-off you would see empty spots EVERYWHERE. Instead I look down at the ground lot behind my building ($22/day) and its packed solid by 8am.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by googe
The train doesnt go a lot of places, otherwise that would be a decent option.

Why would you be parking downtown if you dont work downtown?

[Rav4Guy]

uhh $30?? I doubt that. even james short is less than that.

[Celica TVS3]

^ That's the new rate in the Bankers Hall parkade.

[core_upt]

One of the people in charge of parking in the core for the city said (paraphrasing):

"There is not shortage of parking in the downtown core. The reason it may be hard to park is becasue Calgary has such a vibrant downtown scene, shops, restaurants, night life etc.. Other cities that have available parking dowtown must not have a downtown worth being in."

Calgary might have one of the worst downtowns ever! It is absolutely DEAD after 6. There is a serious shortage of parking and they just don't want to do anything about it. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver also have a decent transit system that makes public transit a viable option. Ours is a nightmare at best.

[Rav4Guy]

monthly waits.. depending on the place... can take many years. Just like the Art Parkade at the UofC.

[CalgarySupra]

Calgary Parking is stupid.

First of all Calgary is not a very dense city, second largest in phyiscal size area anyway.

Parking costs more then NEW YORK CITY. parking patrols are assholes "doing their job"

Even in LOS ANGELES you can go right into the busiest section and not have to worry about paying as much as Calgary.


Lets say me and a friend go to second cup on 5th and 5th one day, we spend 5 dollars on coffe, we stay for about an hour. thats almost comes out to 20 dollars.


Calgary needs to have a lot of things out of downtown. You see in big cities not everything is right in downtown they are actually bussines areas all over. Next thing you know there will be Parking Patrol even on 17 ave se forest lawn

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Rav4Guy
uhh $30?? I doubt that. even james short is less than that.


James short is $20/day I park there every day that I don't have a ride in on the motorcycle. Its right beside my building and works perfectly. Alot of the other lots are $24.

Mark

[Rav4Guy]

^ you work in the transcanada tower?

It's a nice parkade as its underground but those prices are insane.

[SunniSunShine]

we put a dollar in one of those meters today and it gave us 17 minutes what the heck?.. thats such a rip off

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Rav4Guy
^ you work in the transcanada tower?

It's a nice parkade as its underground but those prices are insane.


I work on sunlife plaza on 4th ave, so I just park in james short, entering off of 5th ave, then park and exit james short onto 4th ave and walk across the street to my building. I don't have parking priveleges under my building yet. When im on the motorcycle I park at an imperial lot 2 blocks away that is $50/mont for bikes....alot of bikes park there without a sticker though and im 99% sure their getting away with it.

Mark

[djayz]

parking sucks ass downtown...i have to make trips downtown every once in a while between 10am-1pm and it takes me a good 20 minutes to find a meter anywhere close to where im going.

Why cant they just make an acreage lot a little ways out of downtown for parking and run a shuttle bus into downtown?
Or take out all that crap in east calgary and make it a lot then people can just hop on the train

even parking at a station and taking the train is horrible....sunridge for example if you get there after 7:30am the closest parking youll find is by the bay or by sport check...its not that far to walk but when its -40 outside and thats the cheapest and closest option theres no choice. Theres that or go downtown and take out a mortgage to get a parking spot. hah

[topmade]

Put some gum on a loonie and put it in the meter, then take a straw and push it in until it says FAIL then you can park all day:thumbsup:

[rc2002]

^^ That's the best advice I've read on beyond to date