Comment 37639

By Walkman (anonymous) | Posted February 01, 2010 at 13:24:14

Thanks for the info. Parking as a traffic calming device is something I hadn't thought about. I haven't personally experienced curb-side parking to be very efficient as an incentive for impulse shopping. Vacancies are too uncertain. But if short term spots were reserved for the front of attractively landscaped, off-street lots like the Jarvis St. lot in the IV, but at either end of the traffic flow, freeing up the parking lane for a designated bike, boarding, skating, electric-skooter lane, mightn't that serve all interests more efficiently?

Actually, upgrading the payment methods for parking is something that I'd value more. I like the solar powered parking-pass dispensers I find on Toronto streets, and some Hamilton parking lots. They allow me to use a number of ways of paying, important when I'm short of change, especially as I don't like carrying lots of loose change in my pockets. And these should allow something that I haven't seen tried anywhere, but might have some merit: selling monthly parking passes. I'm thinking something similar to monthly transit passes. Why not? They could be a visit-building incentive by providing discounts for frequent-useage. Further discounts could be offered to specific target groups served by specific businesses in the area, much the way bus passes encourage useage by seniors or students. These passes also offer the opportunity for data collection to focus business promotions toward users. For that matter, the payment stations could also be electronic kiosks carrying advertising for area shops. And when we think of parking, why do we only think of automobiles? I think secure parking for bikes, priced at nickles and dime rates, would offer similar benefits as incentivized off-street car parking.

Sorry. Hadn't planned to get into this when I made my initial query. It just to me to thinking.

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