C-Train Parking?

[JBreaks]

I'm trying to use transit these days but its been pretty damn difficult... The reserved parking registration system is ridiculous.. I'd got a spot 2 months in a row then on Sept 25th was denied a spot for October, yet shit tons of reserved spots remain empty at the station? If you can't reliably obtain a reservation wtf is the point?

This morning I get there @ 6:30 to try to get free parking and the place is overflowing with people leaving cause there are no more available spots.... What time do you have to get there to park in the free area? does this situation only get worse in the winter?

FUUUUUUUUUUUU

[viff3r]

Umm... which station?

Fill out the survey - http://www.calgarytransit.com/survey/index.html

[toyboy88]

Potential 'glitch'?

Have you tried calling yet to see if you can get your spot back?

[schocker]

I have done reserved parking at crowfoot since may. It is pretty awesome trollface.jpg
I would call about that as there should be no issues getting a spot with the capacity they are currently at. Free parking at crowfoot used to fill by 7:20 then it was 7:00 then it was 6:30 and now you say it is even earlier. It is a joke, but I am sure not wasting my time driving to brentwood like I used to before I got reserved. Winter will of course be worse as every car takes 1.5 spots.

[JBreaks]

I'm talking crowfoot station but I used to use Dalhousie and found it no better. I'm considering the ol' 'find a sneaky spot in the community near the station and walk to the platform' trick....

[JBreaks]

Originally posted by schocker
I have done reserved parking at crowfoot since may. It is pretty awesome trollface.jpg
I would call about that as there should be no issues getting a spot with the capacity they are currently at. Free parking at crowfoot used to fill by 7:20 then it was 7:00 then it was 6:30 and now you say it is even earlier. It is a joke, but I am sure not wasting my time driving to brentwood like I used to before I got reserved. Winter will of course be worse as every car takes 1.5 spots.

So driving to Brentwood might snag me a free spot at 6:45?

[schocker]

Originally posted by JBreaks


So driving to Brentwood might snag me a free spot at 6:45?
I am pretty sure. When crowfoot was full by 6:40, I used to get a spot there up until about 7:30, dont know if that is still the case though. I will stick with reserved parking forever. Got there at 7:15 this morning, got a spot nice and close to the station. :rofl:

[alien]

Thanks to all the cochrane (and other non calgary residents) commuters for filling up the crowfoot and dalhousie lots early.

[darthVWader]

You're welcome

[Xtrema]

I thought CT said there isn't enough reservations? No?

With the cash crunch they are in, why don't they raise the % of reservation spots? What is it right now, 50/50?

[Zero102]

This week has been shit for parking at Crowfoot. You used to be able to show up at 6:30-6:45 and still have a spot in the far south lot, but the last 2 days I have shown up at 6:20-6:30 and have only been able to find a spot in the far west lot.

Did they allocate more reserved stalls this month or something?

[i.RSX]

That's interesting, my girlfriend parks at Dalhousie and she always arrives there around 7:20-7:30AM. She says it's super crowded but there hasn't been a single day (so far) where she couldn't find a parking spot. Maybe it gets... slightly less busy past 7:AM?...

Of course, maybe I should've have told you that since that would ass 1 extra person to compete with my gf for a spot lol. It's ok.

[schocker]

Originally posted by Xtrema
I thought CT said there isn't enough reservations? No?

With the cash crunch they are in, why don't they raise the % of reservation spots? What is it right now, 50/50?
I think more people signed up for October as Monday/Tuesday I was in the overflow across the street closer to the bridge. I think they did raise it a small amount as the last row next to the bridge was free at one point.


Originally posted by Zero102
This week has been shit for parking at Crowfoot. You used to be able to show up at 6:30-6:45 and still have a spot in the far south lot, but the last 2 days I have shown up at 6:20-6:30 and have only been able to find a spot in the far west lot.

Did they allocate more reserved stalls this month or something?
I think only the one row of extra, perhaps people were getting ticketed for parking in the reserved, but it did change on the first work day of October so it was weird.



Originally posted by i.RSX
That's interesting, my girlfriend parks at Dalhousie and she always arrives there around 7:20-7:30AM. She says it's super crowded but there hasn't been a single day (so far) where she couldn't find a parking spot. Maybe it gets... slightly less busy past 7:AM?...

Of course, maybe I should've have told you that since that would ass 1 extra person to compete with my gf for a spot lol. It's ok.
dalhousie is shit everyday. It is probably worth while just to go all the way to brentwood as it is shit getting in and out of dalhousie as well with all the playgrounds and road restrictions.

[GQBalla]

i get free parking every day at crowfoot by 6:15

today i got free parking near my normal spot at 6:27???

[schocker]

Originally posted by GQBalla
i get free parking every day at crowfoot by 6:15

today i got free parking near my normal spot at 6:27???
http://angrywhitedude.com/wp-content/uploads2/2010/05/are-you-wizard.jpg

[Feruk]

Originally posted by JBreaks
I'm talking crowfoot station but I used to use Dalhousie and found it no better. I'm considering the ol' 'find a sneaky spot in the community near the station and walk to the platform' trick....

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=dalhousie+calgary+ab&hl=en&ll=51.106142,-114.164289&spn=0.002526,0.004812&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=24.641847,55.283203&vpsrc=6&hnear=Dalhousie,+Calgary,+Division+No.+6,+Alberta&t=m&z=18

Dalhousie Rd NW right by the church. Free street parking. You jaywalk by BP's and you're a minute away from the station like a boss.

[hampstor]

Originally posted by Feruk


http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=dalhousie+calgary+ab&hl=en&ll=51.106142,-114.164289&spn=0.002526,0.004812&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=24.641847,55.283203&vpsrc=6&hnear=Dalhousie,+Calgary,+Division+No.+6,+Alberta&t=m&z=18

Dalhousie Rd NW right by the church. Free street parking. You jaywalk by BP's and you're a minute away from the station like a boss.

You're giving away the secret parking spots! :poosie:

[JBreaks]

I'm gunna start finding a couple secret spots in case this shit happens again... $28 to park downtown... now I'm staying later at the office to try to justify some kind of benefit to myself...?

[chkolny541]

bridlewood station is TERRIBLE for parking, about 2/3 of the stalls are reserved, and the only remaining stalls are filled with ppl from okotoks, high river and all the surrounding acreages by some ungodly hour. so frustrating !!

[K3RMiTdot]

im going to start park n ride when snow comes around, i cannot justify waiting for the bus in the snow... especially because its always fking late...

[dirtsniffer]

just my thoughts. i think it should go back to everyone needing a pass.
there are 2 versions.
the first one, you pay for and get guaranteed parking.
the second one, is free as long as the car is registered to a calgary address. out of towners pay full price, whether they get a reserved spot or not.

:goflames:

[Stephen81]

Sorry for living out of town and contributing to Calgary's economy by working here and spending most of my income :rolleyes:

If it makes you feel any better when they increased the reserved parking at Crowfoot this week I didn't notice the row I usually park in was no longer free and got a little thank-you note from Calgary Transit. Enjoy your $40 :)

[dirtsniffer]

some of our property taxes go towards the lrt. yours do not. you think we should pay the same for usage?

[J-D]

I, for one, do my civic duty of driving to my destination and only taking transit when drinking. :bigpimp:

[Sentry]

Originally posted by alien
Thanks to all the cochrane (and other non calgary residents) commuters for filling up the crowfoot and dalhousie lots early.
I commute into Cochrane, from the west end of Calgary.

All the traffic is going the other way, both ways.

Feels good man.

[darthVWader]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
some of our property taxes go towards the lrt. yours do not. you think we should pay the same for usage?

Yes


The LRT was funded by Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/Calgarys_LRT_1st_25Years_TRB_revised.pdf


In 2004, The Province of Alberta announced a new Alberta Municipal
Infrastructure Program worth $886 million over five years for The City of Calgary. City
Council has determined that 70 percent of this funding ($620 million) will be allocated to
transportation infrastructure upgrades in Calgary. As well, the Government of Canada
has introduced a new Gas Tax Fund for “environmentally sustainable” urban
infrastructure totaling $141 million and an additional $48 in special funding for transit
projects in Calgary.

[dirtsniffer]

so one time, 48 million went to transit?
calgarians put 300,000 into it each year. guess it's kid of a wash
http://www.calgary.ca/CA/fs/Documents/Plans-Budgets-and-Financial-Reports/Annual-Reports/Annual-Report-2010.pdf

[schocker]

Today there were signs up in the kind of overflow reserve lot at crowfoot and all of it is reserved now.

[awolxxx]

Originally posted by stephen_haxton
Sorry for living out of town and contributing to Calgary's economy by working here and spending most of my income :rolleyes:

If it makes you feel any better when they increased the reserved parking at Crowfoot this week I didn't notice the row I usually park in was no longer free and got a little thank-you note from Calgary Transit. Enjoy your $40 :)

I feel your pain...I got one of those lovely little cash-grab notes as well at Crowfoot. It's complete crap though, there was no notification and if you noticed, the initial reserved section have the wood barricades, spray painted bright orange with a very large sign saying that the row is reserved. The section they just turned into reserved doesn't have those giant barricade signs but tiny signs that no one noticed. And I mean NO one noticed because when I got my ticket on Tuesday I looked around and every single vehicle had a ticket as well.

FU Calgary.

[chkolny541]

funny how nenshi's claim of removing the pay parking, has just turned 9/10 of the lots into reserved parking, clever:rolleyes:

[schocker]

Originally posted by chkolny541
funny how nenshi's claim of removing the pay parking, has just turned 9/10 of the lots into reserved parking, clever:rolleyes:
This is not really true, the lots can't be more than 50% reserved. I find it a happy medium as I didn't like leaving for work at 6 to get a spot and don't mind paying to have a guaranteed spot at the train station instead of driving all over like an idiot trying to get to work. Some revenue still comes in and at least half the lot is still free.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by darthVWader


Yes


The LRT was funded by Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments.

http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/Calgarys_LRT_1st_25Years_TRB_revised.pdf

This does not refute what was implied by the post you quoted, and is an incomplete summary of the matter.

There is a difference between operational costs and capital costs. You are speaking to capital costs, and the post you quoted was speaking to operational costs. One is an ongoing cost in the city's annual budget (which property taxes go toward), and the other is a series of one-time costs as things are built (which various funding goes toward, including some provincial and federal grant dollars).

Using the example of a seat on a train, there is a cost for the seat, and there is a cost for the use of the seat. All Canadians have paid for some portion of the seat, but the use of the seat is paid for by three groups, Calgary taxpayers, those who pay Calgary Transit fares and those who pay for reserved Park N' Ride fees, with there being some obvious overlaps between those groups.

The difference between capital costs (buying the seat) and the operational costs (transporting to and fro with a butt in it, cleaning it, repairing it) is important because different tax streams and fees go into one or the other. If someone systematically uses infrastructure day in, day out, week in, week out and does not live in the municipality (and thus pays property taxes), they are being systematically subsidized by the residents of the city whose property taxes pay for the operation of that infrastructure.

Besides, The Province and the Government of Canada don't just pay for things in Calgary. Money goes more or less proportionally to pay for hospitals, roads, schools, etc. in Calgary, Cochrane, Okotoks, Taber, Brooks, Ponoka, Lac La Biche, and every town in between. While it may be correct to say that some of "your" money pays for things in Calgary (capital infrastructure of course, not operation thereof), it's also correct to say other residents of Alberta and Canada pay for things in your town, and everyone else's town or city too.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by schocker

This is not really true, the lots can't be more than 50% reserved. I find it a happy medium as I didn't like leaving for work at 6 to get a spot and don't mind paying to have a guaranteed spot at the train station instead of driving all over like an idiot trying to get to work. Some revenue still comes in and at least half the lot is still free.

The biggest problem I see with this is that when you reserve your spot, it guarantees someone else has to look around forever (and probably not find a spot).

What is silly is that they are trying to increase transit riders, and then they have a much too limited amount of parking spaces :nut:

[darthVWader]

Originally posted by frinkprof
This does not refute what was implied by the post you quoted, and is an incomplete summary of the matter.

There is a difference between operational costs and capital costs. You are speaking to capital costs, and the post you quoted was speaking to operational costs. One is an ongoing cost in the city's annual budget (which property taxes go toward), and the other is a series of one-time costs as things are built (which various funding goes toward, including some provincial and federal grant dollars).

Using the example of a seat on a train, there is a cost for the seat, and there is a cost for the use of the seat. All Canadians have paid for some portion of the seat, but the use of the seat is paid for by three groups, Calgary taxpayers, those who pay Calgary Transit fares and those who pay for reserved Park N' Ride fees, with there being some obvious overlaps between those groups.

The difference between capital costs (buying the seat) and the operational costs (transporting to and fro with a butt in it, cleaning it, repairing it) is important because different tax streams and fees go into one or the other. If someone systematically uses infrastructure day in, day out, week in, week out and does not live in the municipality (and thus pays property taxes), they are being systematically subsidized by the residents of the city whose property taxes pay for the operation of that infrastructure.

Besides, The Province and the Government of Canada don't just pay for things in Calgary. Money goes more or less proportionally to pay for hospitals, roads, schools, etc. in Calgary, Cochrane, Okotoks, Taber, Brooks, Ponoka, Lac La Biche, and every town in between. While it may be correct to say that some of "your" money pays for things in Calgary (capital infrastructure of course, not operation thereof), it's also correct to say other residents of Alberta and Canada pay for things in your town, and everyone else's town or city too.


So where should I mail the $5.00 I owe?

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by darthVWader



So where should I mail the $5.00 I owe? Using 2009 numbers, $141 of the average Calgary household's property taxes goes toward transit annually.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
What is silly is that they are trying to increase transit riders, and then they have a much too limited amount of parking spaces :nut: Only 10-15% of LRT riders access the system via Park N' Ride, or somewhere in the 5-8% range for the entire transit system. Adding more parking has land acquisition and/or construction costs and if the extra space were used, a lot of it would be by people who currently take feeder buses, i.e. limited new ridership.

[Stephen81]

I can understand the logic behind your arguments about commuters who utilize CT but honestly the whole system is broken. If paying extra might even come close to providing me no hassle bullshit parking issues, timely and reliable transit then send me the bill Calgary.

At the drop of a PIN the entire C-train system collapses like a deck of cards so myself and I suspect many others are resentful of every penny we already pay.

And I get to Crowfoot at 5:40am and there aren't a hell of a lot of free spots left. Someone ought to count because I swear there are more than 50% of the stalls reserved.

[frinkprof]

Originally posted by stephen_haxton
I can understand the logic behind your arguments about commuters who utilize CT but honestly the whole system is broken.What's that got to do with what the costs are and the structure of who pays for it?


Originally posted by stephen_haxton
If paying extra might even come close to providing me no hassle bullshit parking issues, timely and reliable transit then send me the bill Calgary.So, until then, you're content to have the bill sent to others?

[Stephen81]

Originally posted by frinkprof
What's that got to do with what the costs are and the structure of who pays for it?

So, until then, you're content to have the bill sent to others?

It has to do with the fact that i could give two-cents for the cost breakdown because in my opinion with the costs and existing structure they do a pretty poor job.

Does it look like I even have a choice? You want my billing address so I can provide this much needed revenue that will help CT pull their shit together? Tell me how I can HELP!

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by stephen_haxton


It has to do with the fact that i could give two-cents for the cost breakdown because in my opinion with the costs and existing structure they do a pretty poor job.

Does it look like I even have a choice? You want my billing address so I can provide this much needed revenue that will help CT pull their shit together? Tell me how I can HELP!

It's poor because the system wasn't designed to handle this many riders thru this big of land mass. It will remain poor because we can't afford anything else until we reach much higher population density so we can collect more tax$ per km of track.

In the mean time, with all the trouble, CT is a good deal. If you work DT, CT's price can double and still be the cheaper alternative by a long shot.

[schocker]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1


The biggest problem I see with this is that when you reserve your spot, it guarantees someone else has to look around forever (and probably not find a spot).

What is silly is that they are trying to increase transit riders, and then they have a much too limited amount of parking spaces :nut:
Yah but I would be pissed if I didnt get a spot every morning. I hated having to drive to crowfoot when it turned free only to have to continue on to brentwood. Now I never have to worry, if I wake up late, NBD.
I think they are trying to get more people to take the bus to begin with though, there is a tiny amount of parking compared to the amount of riders from each station.

[dirtsniffer]

Thanks for the support frinkprof. Another idea I had it to have an additional 50 cent fee for every ticket bought at a new station. And a pass bought to use on a new line should be an extra 5-10 dollars a month. I also think the city should stop allowing more suburbs to be built.

[schocker]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
Thanks for the support frinkprof. Another idea I had it to have an additional 50 cent fee for every ticket bought at a new station. And a pass bought to use on a new line should be an extra 5-10 dollars a month. I also think the city should stop allowing more suburbs to be built.
That idea is not really plausible and not allowing suburbs to be built would also put a large amount of tradespeople out of jobs and would also inflate the cost of used homes :dunno:

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
Thanks for the support frinkprof. Another idea I had it to have an additional 50 cent fee for every ticket bought at a new station. And a pass bought to use on a new line should be an extra 5-10 dollars a month. I also think the city should stop allowing more suburbs to be built.

Suburbs will keep happening but we should ditch flat fee system and adopt a distance between stops fee system.

For example, each stop you pass on LRT would be $0.50. Just make sure to use a smartcard system where it keep track of hop on/off stops and deduct from there. Just use the parkplus charging system. Scan in, charge $10. Scan out, deduct fare based on distance traveled.

Bus should remain flat fee but should be at a reduced rate. Say $1.00 per trip.

The transfer system should be dropped. At a minimum, for bus to LRT transfers. Cost of operating train vs bus is different. Why make bus rider covering cost of train riders or vice versa. And I'm all for subsidizing buses a bit more because a) it's a shitter services and b) not many out of towners use it.

[schocker]

People in Calgary would be too dumb to understand a smart card system though. That is the biggest issue I see.

[viff3r]

Once UofC students returned in September, parking at Brentwood became a shit show. I used to roll in around 7:30 and have no problem getting a spot. Not so much any more. Fucking free-loading students, pay the $3 or whatever it is to park on campus.

[GQBalla]

Yeap! During the summmer I was at brentwood by 730 and there was tons of parking. When school started. No parking ahhaha

Decided to start going into work early just to get parking. Best decision I have ever made. Commute there and back I almost always get a seat and now I park at crowfoot.

Cut down about 14 kms a day. Paper stacking mode

[chkolny541]

Originally posted by viff3r
Once UofC students returned in September, parking at Brentwood became a shit show. I used to roll in around 7:30 and have no problem getting a spot. Not so much any more. Fucking free-loading students, pay the $3 or whatever it is to park on campus.

cant...tell...if...serious......

[dirtsniffer]

Originally posted by schocker

That idea is not really plausible and not allowing suburbs to be built would also put a large amount of tradespeople out of jobs and would also inflate the cost of used homes :dunno:

Trades people would just start working on increasing pop density by building infills, condos, and apartments. Our population density is ridiculously low.

[schocker]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer


Trades people would just start working on increasing pop density by building infills, condos, and apartments. Our population density is ridiculously low.
What about people who want reasonably priced single family homes?
When I bought my house I had the choice of a dinky little house in say citadel or arbour lake, but going further north I got a larger house for less money. I can't afford an infill and I don't like condos or apartments.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by schocker

What about people who want reasonably priced single family homes?
When I bought my house I had the choice of a dinky little house in say citadel or arbour lake, but going further north I got a larger house for less money. I can't afford an infill and I don't like condos or apartments.

Not this again.....

We subsidize the sprawl. Then we run ourselves out of money and have to raise taxes. Service turn to shit. Keep running muni into deficits while people save a few bucks and get a backyard, developers cash in and dump to problem on tax payers.

It's time to stop that. Let's pass the true cost of suburb to the suburb.

[dirtsniffer]

I thought that was nenshis plan? I agree completely though Xtrema to replace druh in the next election :thumbsup:

[Enhance]

I started a new job on Monday so I was pretty nervous about getting to work on time, but also not being the first person in the office to show up. My solution was to get to dalhousie at 6:55ish every morning and sit in my car for 30 minutes. I can say, without a doubt, dalhousie station goes from two completely empty rows at 7, to completely full by 7:15-20.
The exception was today (Friday).. I don't think the parking lot ever filled up.
Crowfoot station is between where I live and dalhousie, but honestly that lot is full by 6:30 and it takes less than 5 extra minutes on crowchild to get to dalhousie.

[schocker]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Not this again.....

Oh you bet I went there :rofl:
I pay my farily high taxes and get shit service from the city, but that is what I expected. Though I do agree that more costs should be on the developers.

[WithTheLightsOn]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Suburbs will keep happening but we should ditch flat fee system and adopt a distance between stops fee system.

For example, each stop you pass on LRT would be $0.50. Just make sure to use a smartcard system where it keep track of hop on/off stops and deduct from there. Just use the parkplus charging system. Scan in, charge $10. Scan out, deduct fare based on distance traveled.

Bus should remain flat fee but should be at a reduced rate. Say $1.00 per trip.

The transfer system should be dropped. At a minimum, for bus to LRT transfers. Cost of operating train vs bus is different. Why make bus rider covering cost of train riders or vice versa. And I'm all for subsidizing buses a bit more because a) it's a shitter services and b) not many out of towners use it.

I'm not really sure if that's a good idea TBH. Over at the SSP forum some people were debating this when the "rings" system was proposed at city hall for the LRT a few months ago, but from what I was told the operating costs to run a train hardly depend on the trip length, especially when considering other factors like optimizing size capacity. So as long as a train isn't half empty like at night or on weekends, the cost on the system to take someone from Brentwood to Shawnessy is pretty much the same as going from let's say Sunnyside to 39th Ave.

BTW Calgary Transit is actually planning on introducing a smart card in June 2012. There was a naming contest and "Connect" was the winner. Boring ass name :facepalm:
http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/electronic_fare.html

[frinkprof]

I also posted this in the Calgary Public Transit Discussion Thread (http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&postid=3785532#post3785532), but thought I'd post it here as well.

Park and Ride Survey

There is a new online survey to provide feedback regarding the changes that the reserved parking system has brought. It is made so that people that use the free park and ride spots, the reserved spots, or neither can respond. It takes about 10 minutes to complete.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ParkAndRideSurvey