Council Says Yes to More Angle Parking Downtown
Prince George, B.C. – Angle parking is to be expanded in downtown Prince George.
Already in place on 3rd Avenue, Council has approved expanding the practice to 2nd, 5th and 7th Avenues when funding becomes available. The move will increase the number of on street parking stalls from 210 to 430.
Council has also approved one of three capital plans presented for the change. Option #2 ( the approved option) The low carries a cost of $6.3 million dollars. That is less than the $8 million for option one, and well above the lowest option that carries a cost estimate of estimate of $1 million. The lowest estimate was for a plan that would simply "paint" what is called a "bulb out", but adds that it would only calm traffic in the summer, and would require repainting every year.
Not only would this add more parking spaces in downtown Prince George, but, as Councilor Albert Koehler says it would also be a beautification project for downtown.
Staff say changing 5th Avenue alone to angled parking will double the number of available parking spaces on that street. A switch to angled parking will also allow for the development of more handicapped parking stalls per block, improve safety for pedestrians as the bulb outs reduce the street crossing area, and traffic will be "calmer" .
But not to worry about the cost just yet, the item will be added to the capital plan as an unfunded item at this point, so there is no committment to spend any money at this time.
Comments
You think it is crowded now going down 5th, wait until angled parking comes in.
With a tall one ton RAM 3500 with a canopy and a two foot trailer hitch sticking out the back on your right side as you back out hoping whoever is driving down 5th Ave. is gonna slow down or even stop to let you completely back out safely? Not for me, pal.
I think you guys are thinking about 4th. Its not crowded at all on 5th.
Option #2 ( the approved option) The low carries a cost of $6.3 million dollars.
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Dayyyuuum! That’d be some expensive paint! What’s it made of? Platinum??! Snow won’t melt until May and then the roads are muddy and we’re back to snow in October/ November so why bother. Just let nature take its course – everyone will angle park without spending a dime. Trust me. (Have you not seen the local lots after a snowfall? Natural instinct for drivers is parking at an angle!)
;-)
Cars parked at an angle are easier to tow…we are getting hoodwinked again people.. ;-)
What Cheetos said and add scan license plates to that!
“Comment Posted by: gold_rush on January 20 2014 10:59 PM
I think you guys are thinking about 4th. Its not crowded at all on 5th.”
It will be once there is angle parking. 7th too. Some not so busy 4 lane streets will now be busy 2 lane streets.
The downtown is dead, why are we throwing more money at it? If we’re not changing the parking configuration, we’re changing the one way/two way designations on the streets. What has that achieved? That’s right, nothing.
I say, more parking, more asphalt, more money spent on snow clearing, more more more!!! Convenience or death! (and yes, I idle my one ton dually winter and summer next to the entrance to Walmart, ’cause I can)
But JB, the city has a whole crew of junior engineers sitting, waiting for another project to play with.
JB…”That parrot isn’t dead. It’s just resting. Nice plumage, eh?” Ha ha ha .
I AGREE so much with JohnyBelt. Angle parking to provide more space is just such a hoot! Most days you could fire a cannon down these streets and not hit anything! The old, tired, pawnshop (bar) (drop in centre) riddled downtown is so dead!!
What’s that saying-throwing bad money after good-or is it the other way around.
Anyway, such a waste!
I’m confused. First they double the parking fees on city lots now they want to double the amount of on street parking spaces? Makes me think they have other plans for the city owned lots.
Does she [Green ]no the angel of the dangle?hehehe! 6 mill on paint,40 mill on new cop shop..are we broke yet??
The downtown is not dead. It has been however on life support and still is. Sometimes it looks almost dead, sometimes it shows significant signs of life.
Nobody in charge has listened to any input of ideas from citizens, like a central plaza close to city hall, George Street and where the latest effort of revitalization (the WIDC) is under construction.
It appears that they are going to cram the PAC into the last bit of potentially open space. Too bad!
There have been a number of other suggestions made public in the past but everything has fallen on deaf ears, including other suggestions for parking improvement.
So, keep the IV going.
We won’t go downtown unless we absolutely must do so.
Life support = dead. Time to pull the plug! Pg downtown is like so many cities in the US where Wallmart like development has sucked the life out of the core. Fort Smith Arkansas is a perfect example. Nothing but restaurants, hotels, pawn shops and for rent signs in its downtown core. Move along folks nothing to see here!
There are games going on, I think.
When 3rd Avenue was fully upgraded (including new water and sewer pipes), paving blocks, bulb outs, etc., it cost $1 million.
Granted this was ten years ago…
Still, it’s hard to believe that just bulb outs and painting today costs $2 million per street.
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