Angle Parking on 2nd, 5th and 7th?
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 @ 9:37 PM
Prince George, B.C. -After two and half hours of presentations and discussion, the Committee of the Whole has made just one recommendation to Council.
It has called on Council to ask Staff to prepare a report on the conversion of 2nd, 5th and 7th Avenues to angle parking. That recommendation was unanimously approved but a second recommendation wasn’t so well received.
That recommendation called on Council to make a decision to deal with the matter of awarding the pay parking contract to the September 9th meeting. The matter is already scheduled to come up for final word on the 23rd of September. Only Councillor Cameron Stolz and Mayor Shari Green supported that move. Green said she would like to see the timetable reduced because “I am concerned that we will have four more weeks of uncertainty.” But her colleagues, with the exception of Stolz ( Councillor Garth Frizzell was not present) , didn’t agree, and defeated that recommendation.
The idea of making a switch to angle parking came from the presentation made by Majestic Management’s Bob Hillhouse. He said switching to angle parking could increase the number of on street parking spaces by 50%. That would be very attractive if the City decides to move forward with the pay parking system, as it would boost revenue.
As for what will be done with the projected income from a pay parking system, that has yet to be decided.
Parking system proponent Aparc, outlined the type of system they are looking at installing. It would accept license plate recognition, meaning no need to go back to a vehicle to put a receipt on the dash. Payment could be made via smart phone, credit card, cash. The plan would see licence plate recognition systems identifying the plate number and issuing a ticket if the plate is in violation. The system would keep track of repeat offenders, and issue tow instructions for those violators who are over the acceptable limit of violations.
Aparc says the system can offer a marketing tool for businesses, that a business could validate a parking space for a customer by entering the plate number in their own access “portal” to the system. A restaurant could pre-validate a parking space when a customer makes a reservation, or a Doctor’s office could pre-validate parking spaces when a patient makes an appointment.
The DBIA’s President, Rod Holmes recognized the Aparc system as “a real Cadillac. But when I have a flat tire, I don’t buy a Cadillac, I get the tire fixed.” Once again, the DBIA pressed the issue that the real problem is one of enforcement. Holmes called for new bylaws that would help change the behaviour of those who abuse the current system by allowing the towing of vehicles.
Council will review the recommendation from the Committee of the Whole at its next meeting, which is set for September 9th.
Comments
Angle parking, again? Everything that’s old-is new again. DUH!
Street parking reconfiguration on 2nd, 5th, & 7th – at one time these streets did have angle parking. But it made the streets too narrow so it was changed to parallel parking. Fourth avenue used to be a two way, then it was changed to a one way heading west, then it was changed to it’s current one way heading east, I think it was changed to a two way in-between the one ways, now there is talk of changing it to a two way. At one time we had parking meters, then we took the parking meters out, now we want to put the parking meters back in. As a city can’t we make up our mind? There was a time when downtown was a happening place. During the sixties and seventies growing up as a child I can still remember my dad and mom stuck in traffic jams on second and third avenues on a busy Saturday. But today those days are gone. On any given Saturday take a trip downtown and it’s dead compared to what is happening in College Heights, Pine Centre, Spruceland, Parkwood and we the city want to put a user tax (paid parking) on a dead horse. Again I must ask, where is the common sense at City Hall these days?
You have to be kidding me! 2nd, 5th and 7th? Let me ask this, have they done a test of a couple of average quad cab pickups parked on angles to each other and measured the distance between the bumpers?
You could do it on 2nd in the Danson perhaps 5th as well, anything out of Danson it isn’t going to work, the streets are just not wide enough. I would imagine they didn’t take into account the snow clearing, or lack of clearing.
Majestic Managementâs Bob Hillhouse. I want to know just where his dog is in the fight. Is he looking for more on street parking for a Majestic property?
The sixties were half a century ago. The town was less that 30,000 people and Pine Centre was not even in a glimmer in a developers eye.
Our rookie mayor and councilor stolze sure are in a hurray to waste our hard earned tax dollars and increase the city’s debt in the process.
On the suggestion of adding more angle parking I cant quite figure out why more parking spaces would be the answer. Compared to any other city there really isn’t a parking problem downtown. Having to park a block away and walking to the shop you want to go to doesn’t represent a parking problem.
IMO this divided council isn’t focusing on the real problem. It isn’t a parking problem that they are trying solve but rather a financial one. The solution then is simple don’t spend more on enforcement than you bring in. Make changes on the revenue or the expenditure side so there is a balanced budget.
If the DBIA wants to increase the enforcement level beyond what can be afforded based on revenue coming in then they can subsidize the cost from the money they collect from downtown business owners and the whole issue is solved. But that is too simple a solution for this group to figure out.
Where is Brian Skakun on this? At least he usually has common sense on these things.
Maybe while we are examining angled parking, why don’t we revisit the canopies on 3rd and 4th ave. Wow,,,, the people that have those new fangled cars that park themselves wont be using that feature much if this comes to life. Maybe we should all run out and get back up cameras installed instead.
Just saying….
Of course Stolz wants paid parking downtown. It is like a consolation prize for not getting a dike he spent so much time promoting. If he can not spent 10 million of taxpayer dollars on a dike then why not a couple of million of taxpayer dollars on a parking system.
I don’t recall 4th avenue ever being one-way heading west or two way unless it was pre 1971.
Get your fake license plate from a Novelty shop near you!
More revenue you from angled parking? They must think people are going to rush downtown as soon as pay parking is back.
Forgot to say, how well is that license plate toll bridge in Vancouver doing? No miss billed people from that is there!
There’s a parking problem on 2nd, 5th , and 7th? This has to be an Apr 1st joke.
angle parking for more money hey! the streets below Queensway have angle parking on the street and if you have to cross them you can not see if any traffic is coming! you have to creep out to the middle of the street to see. frankly it is dangerous.
Angle parking is a terrible idea. End of story. Parking lots are the way to go. Keep parked vehicles out of the flow of traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.
go ahead.. do what you want. I have never had a problem finding a parking spot downtown but then I don’t mind walking a block to my destination either. I will never pay a dollar to park … ever
Just to clarify. I did not suggest that angle parking should be introduced to increase revenue for pay parking even though the article above seems to imply this.
I am opposed to on-street pay parking.
I have never had any trouble finding a stall in the downtown.
I suggested angle parking along with 10 other ideas to improve accessibility downtown. Many people will not or cannot parallel park. I suggested angle parking to counter the argument that there is not enough on-street parking. Angle parking would be a better idea than introducing pay parking because it does not cost much to change line painting.
Mr. Hillhouse, I got the break in “author” with regards to the statement in question. You pitched angle parking, the writer added the bit about increased revenue….pretty much a fact/no brainer and I don’t see it as negative. Suits need to get a thicker skin.
billyinpg is exactly right. Angled parking is a terrible idea at the best of times. Takes up too much street width, dangerous to back out when you can’t see anything because of the SUV/Van/Truck beside you. But it’s even worse in Prince George where every second vehicle is a Ford F-350 Crew Cab with a longbox, and maybe even a snowmobile deck on the back. Drive down 3rd Avenue on any given day and half the lane of traffic is taken up by the rear end of these trucks jutting out into the lane (and if it’s even worse in winter). If a person can’t parallel park then that’s their problem. Maybe they should practice more.
If it is back in only angle parking, yes. If its not, HELL NO. no space, no money and no one cares.
Angle parking isn’t a problem when people are courteous. When I back out on third, I do slowly until I have visibility, and more times than not, there’s a car waiting to let me out – so it can take my spot. Parallel parking has it’s own challenges because until the person get’s parked, they block the lane, and if they don’t get it right first time – they try try again.
I used to work downtown (yes, I actually paid for parking in a parkade) and our amusement on a slow day was watching people try to parallel park – it is actually quite scary how many people don’t know where their own vehicle is in relation to the objects around them.
I think the city needs to paint better lines though for parallel parking stalls. I’ve actually been boxed in before to the point of not being able to leave until either the person in front or behind me leaves.
But as for parking problems on 2nd, 5th and 7th? Really? Those streets are maybe half full of vehicles on a busy day.
And license plate recognition might work fine in the summer months, but what about winter when everything is snow covered? I can brush off my license plate, drive to my destination and by the time I get there, depending on the weather, it’s usually covered again. I don’t usually think to brush it off when parking, I think to brush it off as I’m about to leave.
I guess the mayor and council have never driven down to the bottom of 2cnd ave. on a busy weekday. If you’re doing the speed limit and someone is backing out, you’re going to get hit, no one can stop on a dime.
If you’re backing out, it’s stupid dangerous with the speed some of those folks are driving. Add a flatdeck or 5 ton, they’re in the middle of the road, what with the four door trucks and other long vehicles parked at an angle.
Please, leave it parallel, keep it safe.
And change 2cnd to parallel, it’s safer.
Stolz was on the news saying this is the best thing since sliced bread, you can buy a parking spot on your way downtown or the day before your appointment, but if when you get downtown and there are no spots to park – how many people are going to be livid and ready to strangle the council and crew? You can buy extra time on your cell…does this mean you have to know your license number when you pay, and what if you get it slightly wrong by accident?
Sounds like there is going to be an enforcement vehicle involved here, otherwise you can watch for the meter maid and get your ticket before she gets you as long as someone is in the car/truck. But I didn’t see any allowances for fuel or vehicle costs in the estimates.
Simplest solution for me is to avoid the area like the plague. I can see the areas just outside of the magical downtown having no parking spots for their businesses anymore
Oh, and to add, this isn’t the first time I have heard the same thing out of the mouth of our mayor – she is so concerned with the uncertainty. When she chooses her words like that it makes you feel like there are ulterior motives at work
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