ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[knlr]

There is a Park-and-Ride being built at Fairway/Wilson.  It is replacing the Crabby Joe's that used to be there.

It's being built partly at the behest of Fairview Mall, as they had concerns about park-and-riders using their parking lot.  It also opened up space to rebuild the bus mall to be closer to the LRT station. (which was also something that Fairview wanted; the bus mall further away and not on their land)

I imagine that both Fairview Mall and Conestoga Mall could see "informal" park and ride activity.  It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

When I commuted from Cambridge to UW, to save the cost of on-campus parking, I parked at Conestoga Mall and took the iXpress to campus for free.  There were usually others doing the same thing.

[Canard]

This is common for many other cities I've visited, too. We just park at the mall to use transit and there's no way for them to enforce it.

[panamaniac]

It wouldn't be difficult to enforce, but since the parking lots are rarely full, I don't know whether they'd want to have the expense, knowing that they'd be alienating potential customers. At the moment, I'm sure you're right that you wouldn't have any problem at either mall if you parked all day in their lots.

[Canard]

How could you enforce it?

[MidTowner]

It's not hard to enforce, but it's expensive. Validated parking would be one way. Straightforward time limits would be cheaper, but wouldn't catch all violations.

[Viewfromthe42]

It's interesting to see that. In Ottawa, Place D'Orleans used to be the eastern extent of the BRT line. The mall there required that a park and ride lot be build across the expressway from the mall terminal (buses do go to it, but only downtown-bound). Signs were up right beside the mall terminal saying that no one could park for transit.

Today, the mall is a ghost of its former self. The Bay scaled way back in size, Walmart left for the equivalent of the Boardwalk, and there's even a car dealership in the mall (hallmark of decline). Now the mall actually creates park and ride spots...in the bottom of an underused two-level parking structure, one that you have to walk through the mall to get to (likely hoping to convert some users to more frequent mall shoppers).

[MidTowner]

Who will the park-and-riders be at the northern stations (Conestoga Mall and Northfield, which is still identified in many places as a park-and-ride)? Just visitors to the university hoping to avoid those parking fees? Parking charges anywhere else aren't high enough to get people out of their cars.

[Canard]

There is also the uncertainty of not necessarily being able to find a parking spot downtown. If you know you can park in a huge lot outside the core, and take a relaxing ride in, instead of fighting traffic... I think that is incentive enough.

[panamaniac]

It's not hard to enforce, but it's expensive. Validated parking would be one way. Straightforward time limits would be cheaper, but wouldn't catch all violations.

That's what I was thinking - the only added expenses would be some signage and employee parking tags.  I wonder, however, whether even something like a four hour limit wouldn't generate complaints from people claiming that it's not enough time.  (I don't know, for me after four hours a shopping mall would have been transformed into a circle of Hell, but I could imagine the consumption-afflicted thinking they need more time!).

[danbrotherston]

I imagine that both Fairview Mall and Conestoga Mall could see "informal" park and ride activity.  It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

When I commuted from Cambridge to UW, to save the cost of on-campus parking, I parked at Conestoga Mall and took the iXpress to campus for free.  There were usually others doing the same thing.

Exactly, you were motivated by the inconvenience and expense of parking.  Out of curiosity, why Conestoga and not Fairway....or Sportsworld...or even somewhere in Cambridge....at Conestoga, seems like you've already driven past UW.

As for finding a spot downtown, studies have shown our parking tops out at 70% utilization.  There are always spots.  But hey, if people want to take transit because they have the perception that there's no parking, that's great.

[KevinT]

When I commuted from Cambridge to UW, to save the cost of on-campus parking, I parked at Conestoga Mall and took the iXpress to campus for free.  There were usually others doing the same thing.

Exactly, you were motivated by the inconvenience and expense of parking.  Out of curiosity, why Conestoga and not Fairway....or Sportsworld...or even somewhere in Cambridge....at Conestoga, seems like you've already driven past UW.

It's a short iXpress ride to UW from Conestoga, which is highly accessible from the expressway, so it doesn't tack much extra time onto the commute.  Fairway or Cambridge are a much larger time penalty.

[panamaniac]

When I commuted from Cambridge to UW, to save the cost of on-campus parking, I parked at Conestoga Mall and took the iXpress to campus for free.  There were usually others doing the same thing.

Exactly, you were motivated by the inconvenience and expense of parking.  Out of curiosity, why Conestoga and not Fairway....or Sportsworld...or even somewhere in Cambridge....at Conestoga, seems like you've already driven past UW.

As for finding a spot downtown, studies have shown our parking tops out at 70% utilization.  There are always spots.  But hey, if people want to take transit because they have the perception that there's no parking, that's great.

The widespread perception that it is hard to find parking Downtown is one of our enduring urban legends.  Even if one understands that by "parking" people mean "free parking", it's just not a real thing, with rare exceptions.  However, it's a thing where perceptions seem to trump reality.

[nms]

With respect to a perceived lack of parking, the question is more "there isn't sufficient parking next to my destination". Parking a couple of blocks away from a location seems less convenient than traveling a larger parking lot and parking an equivalent distance away. For instance, consider the distance that someone needs to park at the St. Jacobs Market vs. the Kitchener Market. I could guess that the equivalent space 100m-200m away is not as full in Kitchener vs St. Jacobs. Psychology is funny that way.

A park and ride at Northfield and Conestoga Mall is also an easy way to capture any inbound traffic rather than making a large investment in a frequent, connecting bus service to collected everyone from points north. Currently, the number of available people in Lakeshore North doesn't warrant high frequency bus service.

[urbd]

How could you enforce it?

Charging for parking. Like in so many cities around the world. I cannot think of a single mall in Mexico City that does not charge for parking. Parking has a cost. Users must pay for what they use.

[urbd]

There is a Park-and-Ride being built at Fairway/Wilson.  It is replacing the Crabby Joe's that used to be there.

It's being built partly at the behest of Fairview Mall, as they had concerns about park-and-riders using their parking lot.  It also opened up space to rebuild the bus mall to be closer to the LRT station. (which was also something that Fairview wanted; the bus mall further away and not on their land)

Have any photos been taken of the Park and Ride? I'm curious to see it... is it just a surface parking lot or multilevel? Also how does it connect/interact with the station?