From 680News:
Don Drummond's "profoundly gloomy'' vision for austerity in Ontario includes bigger class sizes, higher electricity and water bills and new parking fees at GO Transit stations. They're among the 362 recommendations the former chief economist insists must be implemented to save Canada's most populous province from plunging into a debt crisis that's gripped countries like Greece.Oh really?
Let me ask you this, Mr. Drummond. Why is that your provincially-run and taxpayer-funded transit system can't get its act together and start generating revenue from people who abuse the parking privileges that I feel we already pay for through our fares?
It's a goldmine out there some days and I'm not talking about the people who are forced to park illegally due to limited parking spaces, but the ones who park deliberately in fire zones (when there are legal spots available) and in areas designated as no-parking to avoid a long walk to the the platform?
I learned recently that this past week, in Brampton, only one driver out of many parked illegally had a ticket on his windshield. The fine was $100.00. One car!
Our fares go up February 18th. Why don't you take that fare hike and hire eight parking enforcement officers and fan them out early in the morning to fine GO customers who can't park appropriately and legally in the spots provided?
You should take that fare increase and hire more patrol for the platforms where the smokers who ignore the no-smoking bylaw are ticketed.
How about you start making good on all these transit by-laws that rarely get enforced and start collecting some fines?
If you want proof of the abuse, I'll gladly share all the photographic evidence I've amassed.
Leave us good GO commuters alone. The free parking is part of the reason why the GO system works. Go after the donkeys who abuse the system.
That's how you can make some money.
25 comments:
GO would make a killing if there was a way to fine foot riders and the door donkeys.
As an occasional user of GO but more importantly as an Ontario taxpayer it's always ticked me off that GO offers so much free parking. Covered by fares? No way José! Parking lots eat up most of their cost in capital expenditures, and GO's famous 80% fare recovery speaks only to operating costs. They're really expensive.
Not to mention, as you so often point out, demand outstrips supply and pretty soon it will make no economic sense (aleady it's ludicrous enough) to keep paving more of our valuable PUBLIC land so that individuals arriving alone can let their cars sit for 60 hours of the week while the entire lot sits empty for the other 108. If you charged the right price for parking (ie, no higher than would leave a few spots free on a weekday), some people will stop driving alone to GO stations meaning that there will ALWAYS be a spot for those willing to pay. In a lot of cases, this will improve your commuting life, not make it worse; ever missed a train because you couldn't a spot to park? Uh-huh.
If there is a charge exacted from commuters I will likely will resort to driving to west Toronto from Oshawa - parking at my work and gas is already not much different than driving to and using the. My car seats are clean and is a more pleasant ride than the go.
Ps I pay +++ taxes and see very little return - the parking made taking the GO palatable. Are not most of the rush hour Go commuters tax payers as well. Who has the monopoly on deciding where those taxes GO.
It would cost a ridiculous amount of money to convert the all of GO's existing lots to pay lots and build the barriers needed (fencing, etc) to secure them from illegal parkers and then there's the equipment needed for the conversion (parking arms, toll collection, etc).
Where does that initial upfront cost come from is Ontario is so broke? And who says this would work anyway?
Well said CJ
True Brad but GO has yet to use enforcement effectively as a revenue stream (as CJ pointed out). They don't ticket and they don't tow in the lots they have now. They don't fine people for crossing tracks at Platform Level (ever seen idiots do this at Union and nothing happens?). They don't fine smokers.
I agree there is money to be made from parking fees but how about GO try enforcement first and then can consider Drummond's suggestion?
Sherry also raised some good points. The conversion to pay lots and the barriers needed to prevent illegal parking comes with a cost. If GO can't even police the parking infractions now, how can we expect GO to police the ones who drive over the lawn and curbs in an attempt to park for free?
If parking wasn't free then maybe people would start parking properlahahahahaha sorry what was I thinking.
I hate to be a stickler for details but the fares go up February 18, not January 18. :o)
Oh, and charging for parking at the GO lots is recommendation 12-4 in Drummond's report.
Thanks B.
I fixed the date.
Standing Ovation!!! Bravo C.J.!!!
Everything keeps going up in price but our paycheques! Enough is enough!
I have mentioned in the past that GO should charge for parking. Anymore, I can't deal with the stress of the parking lots and the people and the illegal parkers (whether there are spots available or not) and take the bus or walk to and from the station.
But, until they do the above, they really can't justify charging. They could barely justify the coming fare increase and were told by the board that they need to start showing improvements, etc. before they demand another increase.
The simpliest thing that they can do, to improve their revenues and not penalise those that participate in the system as adults, is to contract out to Tow Truck Drivers. They will end up paying for themselves with impound fees. Record the idiot parkers first and fine them for first offence. Second offence (and many of these idiots are persistant) tow their car. Reap hundreds.
I have to agree with Squiggles. I am certain tow companies would love a chance to tender some kind of arrangement.
I don't think charging for parking would change the behaviour of any of the parking nut jobs. They'd still drive and park like donkeys. Maybe even worse seeing as they're shelling out dough so they feel even more entitled.
They shouldn't charge for parking until all GO stations have reasonable, comprehensive public transit available as an alternative to driving to the station. I don't mean a 45 minute 2-transfer bus ride, either.
I think if all spots had to be paid for, we'd see more people complaining about the idiots who park over lines, etc. leading to more towing and a ton more schadenfreude.
Heck, I take local transit to the GO station, I couldn't care less.
I could *maybe* accept GO charging for parking in the new structures (and it could be easily done with the installation of mechanical arms and transponders). But charging for all parking will be bad not only for the commuter, but also for nearby businesses and residential streets that will have to deal with an influx of people looking for free parking alternatives.
If they charge a low rate of say $1 a day and only when you use your PRESTO card, I don't see many GO riders having as much of an issue. Plus, with this kind of system (PRETSO at the gate) they can control the amount of cars etc in the lot and once it reaches 'capacity' won't let anyone else in
@AngelSil: I agree!
Mind you, I take a 6-minute Brampton Transit ride for $0.65 to the Brampton GO Station, so I really have nothing to whine about.
I have a feeling that if they started to convert parking into pay lots, the line-ups to get in to the station would be even worse than they are now.
I feel so special that I got mentioned on your post! :)
I think DaGODUDE had a good point.
^ But what if you don't have a PRESTO card?
If you don't have PRESTO, which everyone will have by end of this summer it seems, You pay more maybe $2 or 3 bucks. Idea here is the simplcity of using PRESTO and not fumbling for cash or other crap.
@DaGODude: If you use a paper monthly pass after the fares go up, you'll pay about $8 more a month, than if you use Presto.
By some time in 2013, paper monthly passes will be phased out.
The lots are already poorly designed for traffic which arrives and leaves en mass. If you live in the "burbs" and use Go to get to work, chances are you already own a car. The cost of parking plus Go fare plus the cost for your time and inconvenience probably wouldn't be less that the cost of gas, insurance and parking downtown.
They should charge for parking and lower fares at the same time, so that people not driving to the GO station no longer have to subsidize the people driving.
Why does it always seem I am bending over and taking "it" from all levels of government, but mostly from Queens Park???
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