A Buck An Hour To Park Downtown The Final Nail
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 @ 3:45 AM
If you wonder why many people shake their heads in disbelief at the manner in which the City is run, look no further than the move yesterday to impose a parking fee of one dollar an hour to park your vehicle in the core.
It would be funny , but it isn’t if you’re one of those trying to make a living there. .
Most of downtown merchants are struggling to compete with the malls and business outside of the core and asking those few remaining people who frequent downtown to spend a buck a hour to shop there is a kiss of death.
The downtown core was, or is , a priority , well it’s hard to tell from the actions of Council.
Think about it for a moment , the downtown hasn’t exactly been a hot bed of activity in the real estate field, well that is of course unless you look at the City of Prince George who purchased the old Prince George Hotel for 2.5 million dollars and a further $910,000 dollars for the air above a portion of the Commonwealth Health bldg parking lot.
Commonwealth hasn’t been inundated with offers for that piece of property adjacent to the proposed Wood Innovation Center, unless we all have been misled, and the courts actions underway are a means to attract a buyer. The City hasn’t been selling off big chunks of the land it owns to pay off our increasing debt.
We, that’s the taxpayers, have pumped a lot of money into the downtown and it hasn’t resulted in any rush to get a piece of the action. So what did the City do? Well let’s hit them with a buck an hour to park, that will discourage those people from taking all those parking stalls and for the rest of you , its pay .
That one single decision will go a long way to hammering a final nail in the coffin of those poor folks that have been trying to grind a living in the downtown . When it’s all over and we have completely gutted the core, I wonder if we will be asked to dig deep to spend yet some more money to try and attract some new blood into the area.
I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.
Comments
I rarely ventured downtown even when parking was free. I certainly won’t go out of my way to park down there with a buck an hour parking fee. I don’t carry change anymore anyway…..
They are like wild drunks with a sledge hammer when it comes to policy.
I could understand targeted parking meters at the court house, city hall, in front of the pool and the like, but a blanket policy of parking meters makes no business sense in a downtown that already lacks a vigor of economic activity.
If the’re installing brand new meters, they will likely come with tap-n-go technology so that credit cards can be used. Fewer coins will mean less chance of vandalism.
What hours are they proposing for this new parking fee venture? 24/365 or just 8am-5pm Mon-Fri (or Mon-Sun). If it’s the latter, then it’s not going to affect many people other than those who work downtown. I don’t think there’s too many people shopping for hardware or nick-knacks at 2pm on a Tuesday. If people are having a meal downtown, most will be having it outside of those hours and the meters won’t affect them.
I’m in no way suggesting this is a good idea for the downtown of PG. The last thing it needs is some abrasion to getting folks to come downtown. I just have this feeling this is more about getting all those people who work downtown 9-5 to start paying for their free parking.
“I don’t carry change anymore anyway…..”
You will only need a credit card! Last time I checked the new meter system will not involve the installation of individual meters at each parking slot, but the installation of modern ticket dispensers spaced far enough apart to cover let’s say one block. Much like the stations in front of the main airport building in Prince George. They take cash or credit cards. People will have to walk back and forth to the stations.
Cost? Over a million?
I don’t know if the strange idea of buying a special vehicle with a licence plate recognition system is still being bandied about. This vehicle would slowly cruise the downtown, scan licence plates and collect computerized information which would be used to issue tickets to be mailed for those who exceeded a limit…
Cost? About a million and a half?
Why is it that people who are reasonably successful in private business cannot comprehend the basic principles of what makes a business successful when it comes to running government?
Public office is a position of trust. The electorate trust those elected and those who are working as public servants to never forget whose money it is they are spending and who pays their wages / salaries.
These very same council members who decry the “low turn-out” at the polls on election day just don’t get it: it’s their own actions that turn vast numbers of citizens off because it doesn’t seem to matter.
The people of Egypt have it figured out. They put a president in power based on certain promises he made. He reneged and tried to change the country into something that he never said when running for office, so they responded with massive protests and threw him out in a year.
Maybe that’s what is needed here. Massive protests in front of city hall until they change.
I wonder if there could be money generated from the movie rights to city council and their actions. It could be named, “council on the loose”, starring dikeman Stolz,Green fees, pothole Willy, and the rest of the supporting cast.
Yup, the parking meters, no matter what the rate, are going to be the kiss of death. It has been months since I deliberately went downtown for something.
And the Northern, still has a small parking lot behind the store, the bank I visited has a small parking lot too!
Another shout out to all who voted for Green! Hope your happy!!
The downtown was already dead, meters or not. I seem to recall parking meters in the downtown some time ago and people not making too much fuss about them then.
If I remember right, one of the reasons they took them out is because they were often being vandalized and the change stolen. I would imagine the new system will take care of that issue with credit card payments.
Well stated Ben. I agree and I previously stated by thoughts in the first article on this site related to the parking fees. No need for me to repeat myself here.
Maybe that’s what is needed here. Massive protests in front of city hall until they change.
LOL good luck there buddy. These stupid sheeple here will just bend over and enjoy it, just like always. However they will NEVER get money from me. I just won’t go downtown. I hope ALL the businesses go broke down there and have no customers now. Anyone who is stupid enough to spend a dollar an hour to work down there really needs thier head examined. Why does everyone protest by with holding thier money from these crooks? I been doing that since they started HST. It really is a great feeling NOT spending your money here. Drive them into the poorhouse by not spending. And these arenas? Boycott them too. What would her majesty do if nobody wanted to pay her inflated rental rates? Just close your wallets folks and make them go broke.
Everyone agree not to pay a single ticket and the city will go broke mailing out threats to prosecute. Has anyone ever gone to court over parking tickets? If I recall they only send out three letters then they stop.
What a waste of time and money.
This just gets more ridiculous all the time. Revitilization?? Why? The city is just going to break these businesses with this metered parking garbage. I was downtown several times in the past month and it has been busy, finally! It took a few years to build and now it will be destroyed. What will Ms Green and Co. do when they all these business people give up the battle and close their doors??
So… I go downtown to buy some bakery items. Already a bit off my usual shopping “path,” paying a bit more for the quality. It takes 10 or so minutes to go in buy the items and get out. Before that would have cost an extra quarter. Now it’s an extra 75 cents or dollar seeing as parking was free. Not so sure I can’t make do with items from another store. Heaven forbid one gives in to temptation and just parks defying the odds to run in for a quick purchase and ends up with a parking ticket.
Condolences to the downtown businesses who will take the hit.
What a disgrace. Whats next, tolls?
It might cost one dollar per hour. That would be 25 cents for 15 minutes.
What increments do they accept? Even in the most expensive metered parking spots in Vancouver one can buy 25 cents worth of time for a short delivery or pickup at a business/store.
The thing is that if the minimum charge is a dollar, and the person only uses 13 minutes, then the next person who pulls into spot 23 has to do what? Pay another dollar because the machine will not show that there is still 45 minutes left on spot 23? Or win the parking fee lottery and discover he/she does not have to add any money if they do not intend to stay more than 45 minutes?
If, however, the time does not remain with the parking spot, as it used to with the meters and as it does with the meters in downtown Vancouver, then the whole thing is a rip-off. The city could actually make a lot of money from the double, triple and quadruple payments on quick turnover parking spots, let’s say such as those at banks, post offices, etc.
Tolls are a good idea. Tolls each time you enter downtown.
Let us pretend we are in London, England and that we have a major traffic congestion problem in our downtown. LOL
£10 per day. 100% discount if you drive an electric vehicle.
it will be interesting to see how many vehicles that are currently parked on the street in our “busy” downtown will disappear once pay parking is instituted once again. I think if it is a minimum of $1 then it is just a greedy money grab by the city because very few people need to park for an hour at a time when shopping.
I have a friend who owns a specialty retail store downtown and he is in favour of this. Right now the Canada Revenue Agency and bank employees take up most of the parking on 3rd avenue, making it hard for his customers – me – to find parking near his store. So a buck wouldn’t stop me – because his store has what I want, and no other store in the city has his selection. That said, if another store did open outside the downtown core with as good a selection, pricing, etc, of course I’d keep the dollar and shop there.
Even now I do my banking anywhere but downtown. In fact, other than my friends store, I can’t think of any reason to go there. I notice even Ruins is leaving the downtown core.
To me, the biggest detractor downtown is really what it has always been, street people interfering with me while I go about my business.
I went to court years ago for four parking tickets. The prosocuteof the day approached me before court and asked me why I wanted to waste the courts time. I suggested to him that I wasn’t the only one that drive my car, but when I did, I was always good to the metre!
He said that if I would plead guilty to two of them he would stay the other two. He said they fine would be $20.00 X 2. I asked him what the default time was if I didn’t pay the 40 bucks. He said there was no default time on parking ticket fines.
So after all this BS, I agreed to plead guilty X 2. Never paid the fine, and never heard another thing about it!
So my question is, who is wasting who’s time?
“Right now the Canada Revenue Agency and bank employees take up most of the parking on 3rd avenue”
What great corporate organizations we have!!!!
Neither the City nor the DBIA seems to be doing anything about it!!! In other cities they do.
I used to work in the Scotia Building. Our company paid for monthly parking in the parkade at the BDC building for the employees who needed it. Anyone who worked late was offered an escort to the parkade for security.
That is what I call being a good downtown corporate citizen!
I suspect the new meters will be like that of Victorias DT … each space will be numbered .. a meter every 300 feet or so, enter your stall number and your choice of payment…
Is it any wonder this city is where it is?
The ongoing process of taking one step forward and then reversing it and going one step back is exactly why we’re where we’re at. Pay parking is one example. Let’s get rid of it. Done, at a cost. Then let’s bring it back. Done, again at a cost. Then when nobody goes downtown in the next year, there will be another reversal as the small business people plead for a break or threaten to close shop. The business community did not want a return to pay parking and said so straight out. What happened to the “conversation with the community” that Green promised?
Heard during Monday’s meeting: Let’s give it a try for a year and if we don’t like it, we can go back. Precisely my point.
Just like the wheels spinning in that winter car chase commercial. Going nowhere extremely quickly.
Gus, yours is the exception. The CRA are especially bad. You can see them get out of their cars with their id cards on and walk over to the Oxford building. They just don’t want to walk the two blocks. They look at coffee/smoke break as the opportunity to move their car since they’re going outside anyway to smoke. Sad but city will spend millions because the same citizens who gripe about taxes, won’t voluntarily comply with a simple rule – no parking for more than two hours.
Do we even still have a downtown?
I suspect the new meters will be like that of Victorias DT … each space will be numbered .. a meter every 300 feet or so, enter your stall number and your choice of payment…
For those who have smart phones there is an app in Vancouver to pay by phone and if you stay longer, you can extend it as well. There is no extra charge for the service.
One of these days we will just have to think it and we will be able to get rid of what were once smart phones and will have become stupid phones. … ;-)
Yes …. it is becoming more and more as the name suggests, a down town.
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Heard yesterday from a current HS graduate living in the lower mainland going to University of the Fraser Valley in September when we told him we live in PG …
Cool …. I want to move away from the big cities and live near nature … You can see the rockies … wow!!!
Those people exist. He is a musician to boot – bass guitar. I doubt that remoteness and proximity to nature will be enough to keep a person like that in a City such as what PG is becoming.
Who is doing some research of how many people there are who are looking for that lifestyle and what urban amenities will be required to support their lifestyle?
Who are these people that say the downtown is dead? Clearly they do not go downtown Monday to Saturday during the hours of 9-6. During this time period the downtown is bustling. I see it every day with my own two eyes.
There is a great diversity of people downtown and I would love to see that expand further. I challenge everyone in Prince George to venture dowtown. Step out of your shell and see what there is to offer. If you are adventurous and willing to look, you will find it… unless of course you are looking for a box store.
Instead of issuing parking tickets that people don’t pay, just start towing vehicles and make them pay $75 to the impound yard to get their car back. Done.
what is it the City wants, Money or limit the Time you can Park. Some European Cities use a Cardboard Parking Disc , you set the Time when leaving your Car and place it on the Dash, this will limit the Time you can have this Spot, go over you may get a Ticket .
But it looks like the City wants the Money, but may never get it !
Lol NMG and you decide to tow when? One minute over? Two maybe?
http://www.fakelicenseplate.com!
On the third infraction if they have unpaid parking tickets.
NMG, in our democracy, no matter how shallow it is, we all have a right to our day in court before we are convicted! Apparently we are slowly losing that right.
RCMP are judge and jury at the side of the road now! They can convict you and sentence you, AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD! Welcome to the POLICE STATE!!!
There are thousands of people who work downtown, and these people eat, and shop, while they are down there.
The downtown is busy most times. With the Farmers Market it is even busy on Saturdays.
We don’t need any parking meters downtown. What we do need is for the DBIA to set up a system to police the parking, and ensure that those who work downtown park in the off street parking facilities, or in the parkades.
Thank you Palopu, well said!
I absolutely agree Palopu. In my time in working downtown, many of my former PG co-workers would move their vehicles every 2 hours through out their working day. More should be done to discourage this.
A $1 an hour is crazy for the city of PG. Should be no more than $0.25 per hour. Cities of Red Deer and Lethbridge do not charge for on street parking. In Calgary it is a different story. The parkade that I use occasionally is $8 an hour or $23 per day if you buy your ticket before 8:30 in the morning.
Maybe they think they are a major metropolis and that people will pay it regardless. Or they want all of downtown completely dead and then they will do something about revitalization.
Taxinapothole you are so right. You can be stopped, have your drivers license lifted and your wheels seized and not have broken any law. One can commit a criminal act such as stealing a car and not see jail or even a fine. The world is getting Made.
“NMG, in our democracy, no matter how shallow it is, we all have a right to our day in court before we are convicted! Apparently we are slowly losing that right”
What are you talking about? Your car could get towed already if you park in the wrong place for too long . . .
If you think having your car towed as being equivalent to being convicted in a court of law, I really don’t know what to tell you. Wow.
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