Coming soon: airline pricing for parking meters
The car-hating social engineers at Portland City Hall will be having a field day with this. Gouge everybody in the name of keeping parking "available." Available, that is, if you want to pay $17 to park to go shopping. Guess there'll always be eBay, or the mall.
| Posted at 9:41 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (10)
No mention of what the scheme has done to businesses - or does that matter?
Posted by Nolo | March 16, 2012 10:26 AM
I think it is completely reasonable technology. A couple thoughts:
- This technology could just as easily to the opposite way. E.g. reducing parking fees during periods of low demand. So on Saturday morning when there are plenty of spaces, maybe parking is $.25/hour, or even free.
- Businesses aren't just hurt by high prices. They are also hurt when there are no spaces available. So by helping match supply and demand, there will be sure to be some available spaces for those willing to pay.
- The current system is unfair to people paying moderately high prices in low demand periods, and not particularly efficient for people who happen to get unlucky and arrive after all the good spaces are taken.
I'd welcome something like this in PDX, but think that there should be some independent parking users oversight process to keep the City from considering it a giant piggy bank to pay for more streetcars.
Posted by DaveD_PDX | March 16, 2012 10:37 AM
"I'd welcome something like this in PDX, but think that there should be some independent parking users oversight process to keep the City from considering it a giant piggy bank to pay for more streetcars."
Yeah, good luck with that.
Posted by Kent Mulder | March 16, 2012 10:50 AM
Thanks for this revealing peak into the bureaucratic mind.
Bureaucrat: "We're going to raise parking rates until you can't afford to park anymore. That way there will be parking spots available so you can park. You're welcome."
Posted by Pragmatic Portlander | March 16, 2012 12:27 PM
Or as Yogi Berra would say: It's gotten so crowded, nobody goes there anymore!
Posted by Bill Holmer | March 16, 2012 12:57 PM
Just think, if the Streetcar were priced this way, nobody would use the Streetcar (because most riders ride for free!)
Posted by Erik H. | March 16, 2012 1:20 PM
And you thought variable pricing around the soccer field was the end--it is only the beginning!!
Posted by snowdog | March 16, 2012 3:13 PM
When there is a Failure to Communicate, there is only one solution:
Posted by Concordbridge | March 16, 2012 5:27 PM
http://tinyurl.com/7efnj4x
Posted by Concordbridge | March 16, 2012 5:29 PM
The spouse and I were downtown today to pick up our new iPad.
So my other 1/2 puts in some quarters into a smart meter and returns to the car muttering that the meter took the quarters and kept them without printing a parking chit...so off to another meter where the little ticket is finally printed.
I, having watched the street urchins get money from the smart meters, decided to give their tactics a try, so as we passed the offending meter I slammed the palm of my hand against the meter giving it a good whack and golly gosh it was like a slot machine pay out. Well not quite, but we did get our 2 stuck quarters back.
Posted by Portland Native | March 16, 2012 9:06 PM