TOareaFan
Superstar
Go just sent letters to people with reserved parking spots advising them that the cost of said spots will increase by 40% in a couple of months!
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GO Reserved Parking
- Thread starter TOareaFan
- Start date
vegeta_skyline
Senior Member
whelps someones gotta pay for all those future parking garages with free spots 
(other than the taxpayers of course)
(other than the taxpayers of course)
Second_in_pie
Senior Member
Well I guess if you use a station that's getting one of the big pretty parking garages, then you won't need to have a reserved space as much right?
TOareaFan
Superstar
If paying for parking garages is the reason (they did not say that in the letter) the irony is that you would be "taxing" people at stations with inadequate parking to pay for parking improvements at other stations!!!
Second_in_pie
Senior Member
I wasn't quite thinking of it as a rationalization, but more of looking at the upside.
Of course, if you don't use any of those stations, then I guess you can't look at the upside like that
Of course, if you don't use any of those stations, then I guess you can't look at the upside like that
Northern Light
Superstar
Charge for Parking at all GO Stations
Raising rates for reserved parking is a good start.
But GO must charge for all parking at its stations!
I don't mean the rates have to be exorbitant, I want to see more, not fewer people using GO.
But, at the minimum GO needs to cover the cost of providing parking so that riders not arriving by car are not subsidizing those who do.
Moreover, charging for parking would likely reduce demand at least a little, particularly if done simultaneously with a big push for local transit to/from GO and with improved bike parking/pedestrian connections to the Stations.
I can except there may be the odd station in the sticks where parking is really the only practical option, in which case I suppose that station could get an exception. But for most GO stations, there are alternatives in place or that could be easily and cheaply brought to fruition.
By implementing new parking charges, GO could choose between reduced fares, better service, and possibly saving money that would no longer be needed for vast parking garages.
Raising rates for reserved parking is a good start.
But GO must charge for all parking at its stations!
I don't mean the rates have to be exorbitant, I want to see more, not fewer people using GO.
But, at the minimum GO needs to cover the cost of providing parking so that riders not arriving by car are not subsidizing those who do.
Moreover, charging for parking would likely reduce demand at least a little, particularly if done simultaneously with a big push for local transit to/from GO and with improved bike parking/pedestrian connections to the Stations.
I can except there may be the odd station in the sticks where parking is really the only practical option, in which case I suppose that station could get an exception. But for most GO stations, there are alternatives in place or that could be easily and cheaply brought to fruition.
By implementing new parking charges, GO could choose between reduced fares, better service, and possibly saving money that would no longer be needed for vast parking garages.
unimaginative2
Senior Member
Those are valid points, Northern Light. It might be a tough case to make, though, when we see how many people have stopped using plastic bags to save five cents. People can be extremely sensitive to even relatively small costs, especially if they used to get the product or service for free.
I'd much rather see the carrot approach than the stick approach: full fare integration between GO and local transit services.
One other issue is differential parking rates at different locations. Land out in Stouffville is cheap enough that parking costs very little to provide. At Cooksville or Brampton or Port Credit, the opportunity cost of the land is much higher. Should that be reflected in parking rates? Is that a fairness issue?
I'd much rather see the carrot approach than the stick approach: full fare integration between GO and local transit services.
One other issue is differential parking rates at different locations. Land out in Stouffville is cheap enough that parking costs very little to provide. At Cooksville or Brampton or Port Credit, the opportunity cost of the land is much higher. Should that be reflected in parking rates? Is that a fairness issue?
TOareaFan
Superstar
As with most things, the balance is more important than the principle.
Using paid parking to subsidize other GO ops is a fair idea....but killing the golden goose is a dangerous game.......at $50 a spot people in lots with parkign issues were clearly willing to pay that to make sure there was a spot there when they showed up for a later train......raising it (in one shot) to $70 may swing the balance away from that and, in the short run, you might find yourself earning less from parking than you were.
I will probably keep my spot but I know that I was a bit shocked when I opened the notice and saw the magnitude of the increase!!! Others may be more shocked and more likely to cancel.
Using paid parking to subsidize other GO ops is a fair idea....but killing the golden goose is a dangerous game.......at $50 a spot people in lots with parkign issues were clearly willing to pay that to make sure there was a spot there when they showed up for a later train......raising it (in one shot) to $70 may swing the balance away from that and, in the short run, you might find yourself earning less from parking than you were.
I will probably keep my spot but I know that I was a bit shocked when I opened the notice and saw the magnitude of the increase!!! Others may be more shocked and more likely to cancel.
gei
Active Member
Many people will undoubtedly cancel their reserved spots.... 40% is a huge increase.
But even worse for GO and for the environment in general is that many of those people might just give up and start driving into work.
When I use to take the GO train downtown, the parking lot would be full by the time I got there, so I got a reserved spot and everything was fine. With this price increase - combined with ever increasing GO fares, and lower gas prices these days - I certainly would have just driven downtown.
But even worse for GO and for the environment in general is that many of those people might just give up and start driving into work.
When I use to take the GO train downtown, the parking lot would be full by the time I got there, so I got a reserved spot and everything was fine. With this price increase - combined with ever increasing GO fares, and lower gas prices these days - I certainly would have just driven downtown.
Observer Walt
Senior Member
Not having taken a GO train in years, I'm out of touch with what costs are. What would a reserved spot cost now? Does it vary from one station to another?
You would have to balance off the cost of the reserved spot and the train fare, against the cost of driving your car (parking downtown, the cost of gas, etc.) If the cost to take GO gets too far out of line, people will indeed start driving instead.
You would have to balance off the cost of the reserved spot and the train fare, against the cost of driving your car (parking downtown, the cost of gas, etc.) If the cost to take GO gets too far out of line, people will indeed start driving instead.
DavidH
Senior Member
Chuck
Senior Member
GO should add up the total cost of building and operating the parking lots, divide that by the number system wide parking spots and work days per year, and deduct that exact amount from the cost of a return train ticket. That way, those who drive will end up paying the exact same fare that they pay today even though they're also paying for parking, while those who use other means to get to the station will see their fares drop somewhat. All future fare increases would be a flat 3% per year. If a train ticket costs $5, fares go up 15 cents. If a train ticket costs $10, fares go up 30 cents.
TOareaFan
Superstar
The parking fee for reserved spots is the same at each station and is going from $50 to $70 per month.
rbt
Senior Member
That sounds about right. My limited understanding of suburban parking is that it typically costs malls an average of $50/month per spot for maintenance, snow removal, cleaning, etc.
So, reserved space fees cover the cost of the space.
S
Swamp Thing
Guest
Call me cynical, but I don't imagine increased revenues from parking will cause GO Transit to forgo any opportunities to also raise bus and train fares.
Nor will a parking windfall lead to improved bus and train service. If anything, it will lead to more parking spaces, as GO seeks to maximize its new-found revenue source.