City Council voted on Wednesday to convert to metered parking on many downtown streets.
This decision to convert to paid street parking in the downtown area - especially combined with the recent raise in parking fines, and the addition of a downtown loop to the CAT bus system in February - means there are more reasons than ever to ride the bus in Raleigh. Is this an indicator that the city is finally moving toward a policy of discouraging cars in favor of public transit?
Is this an indicator that the city is finally moving toward a policy of discouraging cars in favor of public transit?
No.
Well, ok, maybe I’ll be more verbose. It’s not an either/or choice. Improved public transit is one thing, and it’s awesome.
Parking meters are actually going to bring _more_ car traffic downtown, as the “campers” are going to give up and finally use the woefully underutilized parking decks. This will free up street space and make it look like downtown is more inviting for cars (which it will be). This is also a good thing.
So, yeah, two separate things.
I’m with Jason on this one. I wholeheartedly don’t believe that this is City Council’s way of transitioning the public to become more acquainted with public transit. Makes me kind of think that it could simply be a money-hungry move.
Either way, this doesn’t really make me excited. As a downtown resident, I’m constantly having to help my friends on finding free, available parking (that isn’t in the rundown parts of downtown). Adding the element of paid parking is just going to discourage them even more to come down here.
Any word on what times and days they WON’T be charging the meters?
Makes me kind of think that it could simply be a money-hungry move.
Not so much, it’s what the parking study recommended to make parking easier (if non-free) downtown. The way it works (and this has been proven out in other cities), is adding more meters and reducing free parking drives the all-day-campers into the decks, and frees up street space for the more transitional parkers. It also makes downtown _look_ like it has more parking (since there are more open street spaces), even though the total number of spaces didn’t change. The goal of the parking committee was
to get more folks downtown, not to make more money or eliminate cars.
Any word on what times and days they WON’T be charging the meters?
I’m going to guess it’ll be like most of the other meters spaces downtown, which is something like 8am to 6pm during the weekdays.
I hope they go with the central pay station - numbered space system like on Hillsborough St. in front of North (?) Hall not far from the belltower. It would be interested to see if these are more cost effective than the old single space meters.
@ Jason—Shoup! Thanks for making those points, which illuminate a few of the many excellent reasons that Council should make this change.
I think that the city is moving towards making the parking decks the more affordable parking option, opening up more on-street parking for quick trips (running to the pharmacy, picking up a lunch to go, paying a parking ticket at the Park Raleigh office, etc). Or, at least, this was the recommendation of the City’s parking plan, anyway. Was this mentioned in the council’s discussion?
As long as they get the rates / hours right then I think this is a good idea.
Right now you can park for free in the evenings either way - on the street because there are no meters, or in the decks because the exit booths are always closed by the time I leave.
The Shoupist ideal is that the rate for on-street spaces should be [that rate which results in 15% of on-street spaces being available at that time of day].
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This method of market pricing assures that the price for on-street spaces reflects their actual value to the “parker,” and that a space is nearly always available for those who need on-street parking and are willing to pay for it.
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It drives those who aren’t willing to pay for on-street spaces into the parking decks, which are underutilized.
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It reduces around-the-block cruising for on-street spaces, which may account for as much as 50 to 90% of traffic in typical downtown areas.
Baby steps toward making Raleigh a “real city.” Jason covered the details (good work). This is a step in the right direction… being the planning geek that I am, I actually read a decent amount of the parking study and while pricing the streets at ~$2/hr is a step in the right direction, I believe that many of the decks are still priced higher, so it may not be Shoupian ideal that many hope to see. WE should see more cars in the decks and thus more unoccupied on-street spaces, which should help retail business downtown (at a time when they need it).
Incidentally, I recall that part of the plan contemplates charging for parking along Glenwood South at *night* but that it could be implemented at a later date.
In Peoplepowergranny.blogspot.com I post my concerns about a new Downtown Master Plan that will be available for comment in a couple nights. Do you like your downtown? Are leaders accountable to voters? Vote in my poll and let me know what kind of a master plan would make your downtown better. Or is one needed at all?
it would be great to get some cars off the street so that moving cars can actually fit in the travel lanes. Blount is dogshit and in the last few weeks the city opened up parking on Davie on the curb along Progress Energy. it makes the right hand lane useless and likewise the right hand lane coming out of the traffic light to cross wilmington.
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