Comments on: Pay Parking for Sounder?

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:23:09 +0000

That cost is for a parking garage, most of these spaces are surface lots so more like $3,000 to $4,000 per stall.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:32:09 +0000

…20 bucks per year?

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:10:50 +0000

The airport makes 1/3 of it’s revenue from parking..Sounder should charge if the lot is full. It’s not the cost as much as once we charge people stop thinking of it as “free” and then will make adjustments to not need it….like driving!..ok maybe bicycling. But covered bicycle lockers should be an option. Also for a few, and as a social engineer, less than an auto space even though they cost more.

By: cuyahoga

cuyahoga — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:48:01 +0000

BART also charges a small fee at many of their lots and is looking at adding parking fees at more lots. They also offer monthly permits. YOu can also pay for your parking using the electronic fare card. It’s “attached” to the permit you hang from your rearview mirror.

By: cuyahoga

cuyahoga — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:44:42 +0000

As far as the MI park and ride goes the city had an opportunity to help fund a larger garage but turned down the opportunity.

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 06:15:24 +0000

The problem with the Mercer Island garage is it is sized for the needs of Mercer Island residents. Unfortunately many people who live NE, E, and SE of Mercer Island park there. In addition to the cost issues I suspect Mercer Island really doesn’t want as large a parking structure as would be needed to keep it from filling up once Link opens. I suspect on the order of a 1500 space garage would be required.

By: alexjonlin

alexjonlin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 04:05:38 +0000

Yeah, I think that was quite a bad decision by ST to only expand the Mercer Island Park & Ride to 2 floors. It’s better to make a long-term investment, and expand it to at least three floors.

By: Mike Skehan

Mike Skehan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:52:46 +0000

Another consideration is that both Kent and Auburn negotiated with ST for additional spaces, and I think Auburn came up with some funding for some of theirs.
Maybe enough time has elapsed since those agreements were hashed out with past administrations, but cities have long memories over these issues, and may not be agreeable to letting Sounder charge a fee.

By: Mike Skehan

Mike Skehan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:33:38 +0000

How can “Pay Parking for Sounder” be only about parking and not about Sounder?
That’s the whole point of the piece. Before you can decide how much to charge for parking, if at all, you must decide what value it has. Then you can establish price points to moderate demand.
Charging a small nominal fee seems counter productive. About half the revenue generated for parking goes to the collection system. Charging too little could end up costing more overall.
I think charging a reasonable fee for parking would not only mitigate the need for a lot more spaces, but enhance local feeder bus performance.
It’s the spine and spoke network everyone has been working towards since Forward Thrust.

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:15:17 +0000

But how many people are driving now because they get to the station and find the lot full?

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:01:13 +0000

Parking structures are extremely expensive, tens of thousands of dollars per space, plus maintenance costs. Paying for parking would help offset the capital cost of the parking structure.

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:53:25 +0000

Exactly. This is a major complaint of the City of Mercer Island BTW. The new garage filled the moment it was opened and there still is no parking for Mercer Island residents (South Bellevue, Eastgate, and Issaquah have the same problem).

Even with the expansion of S. Bellevue planned for East Link I suspect there will be a problem with both S. Bellevue and Mercer Island filling early in the morning.

I think ST and partner agencies (Metro, CT, PT) need to consider a parking charge at all P&R lots that are more than 95% full before 9 AM. The great thing is this might help fill some of the underutilized lots as they would still be free.

By: Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:08:31 +0000

A lot of people drive from Bellevue or Newcastle to Mercer Island, check to see if the park-and-ride is full, and if so, drive the rest of the way to work.

By: Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:51:37 +0000

Well if you don’t have enough parking, the system doesn’t get used enough. I don’t imagine huge mega-church style multi-acre parking lots, but a few hundred spots is a good idea.

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:14:52 +0000

I’m sure that anyone that takes the bus via one of the lots that generally serves the Sounder would then have an increased motive to drive. If one lot, such as Kent Station, was excluded, riders of the other lot might not be happy that they have to pay to park but the Kenties don’t.

By: Mike B

Mike B — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:31:05 +0000

Oops, 1 mile each way. Its not that hard!

By: Mike B

Mike B — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:29:34 +0000

Edmonds has parking lot issues as well. Thats one of the many reasons why I walk the 1/2 mile each way, rain or shine! More people should walk or bike in the relatively flat valley region.

By: Chris Stefan

Chris Stefan — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:19:45 +0000

Unless the total cost of transit fare plus parking cost more than parking in downtown Seattle I doubt that will be the case.

Besides the issue with charging for parking in P&R lots is to provide some demand management. A P&R lot is actually less useful if it fills up early in the morning.

I’m sure there are people who after encountering a regularly full P&R lot just decide that driving to work is easier.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:56:01 +0000

Charging for parking to manage demand is a good idea, but it’s also really important to use the revenue for something that the people parking in the lot can see. If it’s clear that the money is going to cleaning the station, fixing lighting for the lot, improving the bus drop-off point, adding bike racks, maybe even hiring security to patrol the lot, etc., the charge will feel more like a maintenence fee (which it is) and less like a money grab from the transit agency.

I’d recommend Don Shoup’s “The High Cost of Free Parking” to anyone interesting in the policy and politics of parking.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:48:18 +0000

Exactly! In reality I think ridership would go up (assuming there’s even room on the bus) because some number are going to start carpooling and increase the average occupancy.