12-29-2017, 03:41 PM
If you give everyone a free car, they'll take it. If you give everyone free gas, they'll take it. If you give everyone free ample parking, they'll drive to it and take it. We have to decide at what points we can change the motivators. We can't ever beat the malls for visibly apparent free parking, unless we have the ability and confidence to change the rules (around how much parking, charges, etc).
One of the few bright spots where we *can* control things is with events, and we have started to do this. You can't reasonably park close to Bluesfest or Ribfest, but events like these we can give direct bus access to. We can give the closest parking to those on bikes (and do, with the bike valet). With Canada Day, we can even control the roads downtown and by Columbia Lake to allow for buses and LRT to exit most quickly, while those who drive all the way to the site are indeed taking the less convenient option. And so where we have easier times changing the motivators, we should do so, continuing what we have done, and pioneering more.
One of the few bright spots where we *can* control things is with events, and we have started to do this. You can't reasonably park close to Bluesfest or Ribfest, but events like these we can give direct bus access to. We can give the closest parking to those on bikes (and do, with the bike valet). With Canada Day, we can even control the roads downtown and by Columbia Lake to allow for buses and LRT to exit most quickly, while those who drive all the way to the site are indeed taking the less convenient option. And so where we have easier times changing the motivators, we should do so, continuing what we have done, and pioneering more.