Comments on: Parking Meters For An Improved Pedestrian Experience

By: DPK

DPK — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:28:28 +0000

I like the flex space idea. Here are pics of what John’s talking about:

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/currentplanning/granvilleredesign/construction/index.htm

By: John Hinnant

John Hinnant — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:22:28 +0000

In downtown Wilmington, the parking revenue is an enterprise fund. Every dollar made goes back into the program so that we can build more decks, provide better management and, cleanliness and maintenance. I like your idea of putting the money back in sidewalks.

In Vancouver, they just made over Granville Street, and one thing they implemented were “flex parking spaces.” The concept is this, the sidewalk finish is carried out into the parking stall. At a certain time of day/night, bollards are installed to prevent parking, thereby creating a larger sidewalk.

Thanks for keeping the discussion pedestrian friendly, city’s are built for people, not automobiles.

By: jeff

jeff — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:45:16 +0000

there’s a half dozen empty parking decks that are all like a buck or two! i mean i like parking in front of the place i’m going, too, but give me a break… try boston, where street parking does not exist even in residential neighborhoods, and parking garages are 20 bucks for a few hours. which is nowhere near as bad as NYC… raleigh needs more STUFF, not more parking.

also, the reason people are wary of sitting on sidewalks is the homeless people asking for money while they eat. happened to me 3 times last week during one dinner at the mint. if people want to get serious about this, how about panhandling = 1 year ban from the city limits.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:27:56 +0000

People who complain about parking in downtown Raleigh are use to circling Walmart for an up front spot. I’ve never had a problem finding parking in Raleigh, not even during major events. It’s there, just expect to walk a block or two. It is, after all, a city downtown.

Parking meters are a necessity, as they impose time limits for parking in premium, store front areas. However, they should be free during off-peak times for their location. For example, meters near government buildings should be free on nights/weekends.

I agree with Jeff, the sidewalks will have to come from somewhere, and that means less streets pace. I do think we’re on track with this though. Most cities only have wide sidewalks on certain main streets, and we have the same. I welcome more.

By: JeffS

JeffS — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:42:31 +0000

I don’t know how you expect to “solve” the problem of narrow sidewalks if you’re not willing to take back street space – which includes some of the on-street parking.

As I’ve mentioned before, I would jump at the chance to replace parking with more useful common space – whether that be sidewalk, seating, *gasp* plants, bike racks, bus stop benches, whatever… you know, something that would benefit more than a single demographic.

Maybe we need to start polling convention-goers and other out-of-towners. We seem to care much more about what they think than our own residents.