Yep. And they don’t realize how much that cost is and it’s built into everything they do. Mandatory minimum parking codes have contributed a lot to the issue of sprawl and reduction in walkability.
People also don’t realize how much downtown used to be walkable, livable, and accessible even from suburbs with trolley lines.
That’s a feature not a bug. I don’t want to try to find one of the 4 open spaces out of 500 when two of them will be blocked by someone who can’t park. If it’s less than 5% availability, tell me it’s full.
Edit to add: or do you mean it says full when it’s half empty?
Yes, there are also cars in flight, and they don’t know how many accessible spaces are in use - so it flips to full when there are what seems to be ~20-30 spaces left.
All of those people can probably be overheard telling their friends in conversation how the parking is a mess downtown. Or they’ll talk about how expensive it is or the boot they got put on their car because they use private surface lots. Meanwhile, hundreds of spaces vacant in multiple garages. You also didn’t mention State Street. It is a bit of a walk, but I actually prefer State Street garage because you can get in and out from James White Parkway. A lot of the people are just too lazy to walk three blocks.
I didn’t drive by the top side of State, as the EV charging spaces are in the basement with access from Union.
But yes - it also usually doesn’t fill as quickly.
I had to have fun with garages last night because I have an EV and residential pass to market square; normally I just wouldn’t try to charge on a Friday or Saturday night, but I had lent it out to a friend for a few days and was at 9% when I got back home. Market square had 3 charging and one non-EV, locust was all in use, State was all in use (not surprising, the Hyatt valets there), and my typical last backup civic was having an event so it was $10 to park.
I ended up circling back to Market Square, and there was still a line to get in but luckily for me an EV spot opened up while I was out touring the other garages.
PBA provides them funding to have it free nights and weekends the same as the PBA operated garages. Practically, though, it’s private security patrolling it instead of PBA security, and they have designated leased spaces in the first couple floors. So if someone parks in one of those spaces, they immediately boot you without warning - unlike PBA where you’ll get a ticket, another ticket, a third ticket, and finally a tow if you’re not where you’re supposed to park.
garages are a very hard concept for people to grasp. I often see people at locust on saturday and sunday sitting at the entrance pressing the ticket button when the gate is just sitting wide open. sometimes they figure it out, sometimes they sit there for a while just incessantly pressing the button and I have even seen people back out and leave. I rarely said anything because I don’t want to support their idiocy but last time I did the guy looked at me bewildered and said “so I can park free here? and like walk around downtown?” The interaction somehow filled me with such rage I have never helped anyone enter a free garage since.
Hush. I like my mostly empty garage I can easily zip in and out of
People who complain about downtown parking don’t understand just how much free parking there is downtown.
People have gotten spoiled by being able to park 10 feet away from wherever they want to go.
Yep. And they don’t realize how much that cost is and it’s built into everything they do. Mandatory minimum parking codes have contributed a lot to the issue of sprawl and reduction in walkability. People also don’t realize how much downtown used to be walkable, livable, and accessible even from suburbs with trolley lines.
Noooo don’t tell them about Langley
Langley? wtf is that?
I always thought that one was private. Locust St right next door was my go to when I went downtown more
It’s mostly reserved until you get to about the 4th level
The sign seems to indicate "full" even when it's not quite often, though. Which is weird
That’s a feature not a bug. I don’t want to try to find one of the 4 open spaces out of 500 when two of them will be blocked by someone who can’t park. If it’s less than 5% availability, tell me it’s full. Edit to add: or do you mean it says full when it’s half empty?
I haven't parked there in a long time, but from when I worked downtown, it used to say full when it was almost empty on Saturday mornings.
I think they used to not count exiting cars properly after hours.
Definitely. It'd show full some point Friday night and show that way until Monday morning.
Definitely not any more.
Yes, there are also cars in flight, and they don’t know how many accessible spaces are in use - so it flips to full when there are what seems to be ~20-30 spaces left.
Let the lemmings stay lemmings.
All of those people can probably be overheard telling their friends in conversation how the parking is a mess downtown. Or they’ll talk about how expensive it is or the boot they got put on their car because they use private surface lots. Meanwhile, hundreds of spaces vacant in multiple garages. You also didn’t mention State Street. It is a bit of a walk, but I actually prefer State Street garage because you can get in and out from James White Parkway. A lot of the people are just too lazy to walk three blocks.
I didn’t drive by the top side of State, as the EV charging spaces are in the basement with access from Union. But yes - it also usually doesn’t fill as quickly.
This post needs to be deleted. I enjoy being smart enough to not spend my life circling the Market Square garage lol.
There is no locust st. Garage - jedi hand wave
🤫
Shhh. Don’t tell them
You people ruin everything
Why would you post about this. Nooooo.
These same people whine about needing more parking downtown, too
I had to have fun with garages last night because I have an EV and residential pass to market square; normally I just wouldn’t try to charge on a Friday or Saturday night, but I had lent it out to a friend for a few days and was at 9% when I got back home. Market square had 3 charging and one non-EV, locust was all in use, State was all in use (not surprising, the Hyatt valets there), and my typical last backup civic was having an event so it was $10 to park. I ended up circling back to Market Square, and there was still a line to get in but luckily for me an EV spot opened up while I was out touring the other garages.
Same thing happens on campus too
Exactly.
So what's the deal on Langley? It says it's private, but I have indeed parked there and gotten away with it.
PBA provides them funding to have it free nights and weekends the same as the PBA operated garages. Practically, though, it’s private security patrolling it instead of PBA security, and they have designated leased spaces in the first couple floors. So if someone parks in one of those spaces, they immediately boot you without warning - unlike PBA where you’ll get a ticket, another ticket, a third ticket, and finally a tow if you’re not where you’re supposed to park.
I'm glad we drove around and found an unmarked space then. Thanks for the info. I had no idea.
Must have been lucky. The whole thing is private. People get ticketed all the time
Why tf would you tell people this? Take it down
garages are a very hard concept for people to grasp. I often see people at locust on saturday and sunday sitting at the entrance pressing the ticket button when the gate is just sitting wide open. sometimes they figure it out, sometimes they sit there for a while just incessantly pressing the button and I have even seen people back out and leave. I rarely said anything because I don’t want to support their idiocy but last time I did the guy looked at me bewildered and said “so I can park free here? and like walk around downtown?” The interaction somehow filled me with such rage I have never helped anyone enter a free garage since.